Hester, William

William Ewing Hester “Slew”
Born: May 08, 1912
Died: February 08, 1993
Hometown: Hazlehurst, Mississippi, United States
Citizenship: United States
Inducted: 1981

Contributions
USTA 1st Vice President 1974-76
President 1977-78

A fine athlete, a football player at Millsaps College in his native Mississippi, William Ewing Hester won numerous tennis trophies. Among them were U.S. senior doubles titles such as the Grass Court 45s with Alex Wellford in 1957. But, as one of the most thoughtful and forceful USTA presidents, burly Slew made an indelible mark on the game by determining to expand the scope and potential of the U.S. Open by moving the event from Forest Hills after the 1977 Championships.

He took the Open a few miles away to the Flushing Meadow and the swiftly constructed, Hester-inspired-and-overseen U.S. National Tennis Center in time for the 1978 Open. There the event annually set tennis attendance records. A gregarious cigar-smoking oilman from Jackson, Hester earned a bronze star while serving in the U.S. Army in World War II.

He was a USTA officer from 1969 to 1977 when he became president for a critical two-year term. Born May 8, 1912, in Hazelhurst, MS, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 and died February 8, 1993, in Jackson, MS.

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