William Clothier

William Jackson Clothier was an American tennis player born in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania on September 27, 1881. He was born to a well-off family, being the son of the co-founder of the Strawbridge & Clothier department store chain in Philadelphia.

In 1902, the right-handed tennis player won the Intercollegiate Championship both in the singles and doubles category for Harvard. William Clothier became a U.S. Champion for four years, ranking in the U.S. top 10 between 1901 and 1911.

Clothier reached the U.S. finals in 1904 but lost to Holcombe Ward. In 1905, he became a member of the U.S. Davis Cup and remained as such until 1906. In the first Davis Cup abroad in 1905, Clothier defeated two skilled tennis players from France – Max Decugis, in straight three sets and Maurice Germot in three out of for sets. He finally won the finals in the U.S. Championships in 1906. In 1909, he again reached the U.S. finals but was not able to come out victorious in a five-set game against Bill Larned.

Clothier is the holder of one Grand Slam record – the U.S. Championships in 1906 – and was a finalist in 1904 and 1909 in the same event. In the mixed doubles, he was able to reach the finals in the U.S. Championships in 1912.

In 1935, he and his son William Clothier II won the U.S. Father and Son double titles. They were able to defend their title the following year in 1936.

Clothier was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956 at the age of 75. He later died on September 4, 1963 before turning 81 on the 27th of that same month.