Campbell, Oliver

Oliver Samuel Campbell
Born: February 25, 1871
Died: July 11, 1953
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1955

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Singles 1890-92
   Doubles 1888, 1891-92
   Doubles finalist 1889, 1893

Tournament Record
Intercollegiate Doubles 1888-89

Highest Ranking
Highest Ranking  No. 1 in U.S. 1890-92

For a century Oliver Samuel Campbell had the distinction of being the youngest to win the U.S. singles title. He did it as a 19-year-old Columbia student in 1890. (Pete Sampras, a younger 19, became the youngest when he won the title in 1990.)

Four years earlier, Campbell, at 15 years, 5 months, had lost in the opening round at Newport to the man he would dethrone four years later Henry Slocum. Oliver was the youngest until 1918 when Vinnie Richards undercut him by a month.

After his first exposure to Newport, Campbell determined to transform himself from a baseliner into a net-storming volleyer. “I ran to the net behind every service until the day I retired,” he later recalled. It paid off in a U.S. doubles title (his first of three) in the company of Valentine Hall in 1888, with whom he’d won the Intercollegiate doubles that year for Columbia.

Campbell, a 5-foot-ll 1/2 right-hander, lost to Slocum again in the 1888 semis, and to lefty Quincy Shaw in the 1889 all-comers final. But l890 he outbattled Bob Huntington, 3-6, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-l, in the semis, and Percy Knapp, 8-6, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the all-comers final. Stronger physically, he kept rushing the net, and at last beat Slocum, deposing the champ, 6-2 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Campbell endured another struggle inl challenge round of 1891, 2-6, 7-5, 7-9, 6-1, 6-2 over Clarence Hobart. He made it three straight, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, over Fred Hovey in 1892, and retired, leaving the 1893 title to Bob Wrenn default. In 1888 he made the U.S. Top Ten for first of five straight years, No. 1 in 1890, 1891 and 1892. He was born February 25, 1871, in New York, and died July 11, 1953, in Campellton, Canada. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1955.

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