Robert Lindley Murray (November 2, 1892 – January 17, 1970) was an American chemist and

tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...

Early life

Robert Lindley Murray was born in San Francisco, California to Augustus Taber Murray and Nellie Howland Gifford. He graduated from Stanford University in 1913 with a degree in chemistry and received a chemical engineering master's degree the following year. Murray played for the varsity team and became the 1913 Pacific Coast intercollegiate champion.

Career

In 1961, Murray retired as the chairman of the

Hooker Chemical Company Hooker Chemical Company (or Hooker Electrochemical Company) was an American firm producing chloralkali products from 1903 to 1968. In 1922, bought the S. Wander & Sons Company to sell lye and chlorinated lime. The company became notorious in ...

Tennis

In June 1914, Murray won the New York Metropolitan title defeating

Fred Alexander Frederick Beasley Alexander (August 14, 1880 – March 3, 1969) was an American tennis player in the early 20th century. He won the singles title at the 1908 Australasian Championships and six double titles at Grand Slam events. Career In 1908, ...

in the final in five sets, and in August, he won the Meadow Club Cup at Southampton, New York, beating Watson Washburn in the final in three straight sets. Murray won his first national tennis title in February 1916 when he became the singles champion at the

U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships The U.S. National Indoor Championships was a tennis tournament that was last held at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The event was played on indoor hard courts and usually took place in February. For much of i ...

, played at the

Seventh Regiment Armory The Seventh Regiment Armory, also known as Park Avenue Armory, is a historic National Guard armory building located at 643 Park Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The building is a brick and stone structure b ...

in New York. In the final, he defeated Alrick Man in three sets 6–2, 6–2, 9–7. He won the U.S. National Championship men's singles title in 1917 and 1918. The tournaments were renamed National Patriotic Tournaments in support of the war effort. No trophies were handed out to the winners, and the entrance fees were dedicated to the Red Cross. In 1917, Murray defeated Bostonian Nathaniel W. Niles in four sets. Murray did not intend to play the 1918 National Patriotic Tournament as his skills as chemical engineer were considered too important for him to play during wartime. Only after a lengthy effort to persuade him by Elon Hooker, the president of his company, did Murray consent to play. Despite little preparation, he managed to reach the final in which he faced Bill Tilden, the future seven-time champion. In an impressive performance, Murray easily defeated Tilden in three sets 6–3, 6–1, 7–5. In the USLTA national rankings, he was the U.S. No. 1 in 1918, and was ranked fourth in 1914, 1916 and 1919.United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). ''Official Encyclopedia of Tennis'' (First Edition), p. 374.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 titles)

Personal life

Murray died on January 17, 1970, in Lewiston Heights, New York.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Lindley 1892 births 1970 deaths American male tennis players Tennis players from San Francisco Stanford Cardinal men's tennis players International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees United States National champions (tennis) Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles