Boston celebrates U.S. Squash Hall of Fame acknowledgement for two respected players and advocates
By Kristi Maroc, U.S. SQUASH
Two highly respected local Boston players were inducted into the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the University Club of Boston last night. The Hall of Fame has welcomed Leonard A. Bernheimer and Thomas M. Poor into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.
Lenny is the winner of more than thirty-five national age group titles in singles and doubles, recipient of the 1993 U.S. Squash President’s Cup, silver medalist in the 1977 Maccabiah Games, U.S. representative at the 1977 World Championships, former President of U.S. and Massachusetts Squash, and founding board member and current chair of SquashBusters. Tom Poor is the winner of more than forty-five United States and Canadian national age-group singles and doubles titles, was a member of the 1973 U.S National Team in the World championships and captain of the 1977 team to its ranks.
As doubles partners, the duo have won more than twenty national age-groups doubles championships.
“Lenny Bernheimer and Tom Poor have not only been outstanding representatives of the United States on the international level, but have also been pioneers of promoting and supporting the sport domestically,” said Kevin Klipstein, CEO of U.S. Squash.
Lenny Bernheimer has been a beloved figure on and off the squash court for forty years. He has won more than thirty-five national age group titles in singles (hardball and softball) and doubles. In 1977, he represented the U.S. in the Maccabbiah Games in Israel, winning the silver medal, and in 1977 he played for the U.S. at the World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. Along with Tom Poor, he was director of the Boston Open, for seventeen years an innovative major on the pro hardball tour. Since then he has co-directed the pro doubles tour stop at the University Club in Boston and the Can-Am Cup. He was president of U.S. Squash from 1984 to 1986 and president of the Jesters. He has also served as president of Massachusetts Squash and has been a board member for more than four decades. Lenny is a founding board member of SquashBusters and has been chair for the past thirteen years. He was awarded the U.S. Squash President’s Cup in 1993.
Tom Poor has won more than forty-five United States and Canadian national age-group singles and doubles titles. He won the Canadian national doubles in 1974, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1990 and twice reached the finals of the U.S national doubles. With partner Lenny Bernheimer, he has won more than twenty national age-group championships. Tom was a member of the 1973 U.S. National Team in the World Championships and was captain of the 1977 team. He and Lenny were co-directors of the Boston Open for seventeen years, the innovative hardball tour stop that was the first to use a portable glass court and accept sponsorship. More recently he has been a co-director of the pro doubles tour stop at the University Club of Boston. Tom has served as a board member of Massachusetts Squash for more than four decades, was a founding board member of SquashBusters, and was given the Massachusetts Squash President’s Award in 2007. He has directed dozens of junior squash tournaments and is the current chair of the Massachusetts Squash Junior Committee. He has served as a member of the U.S. Squash Board of Directors and U.S. Squash’s Investment Committee. An enduring giant on the court, Tom has used his passion for development to help squash reach its true potential.
The Bernheimer and Poor ceremony follows the recent induction of Jack Herrick into the Class of 2011 at a ceremony in his hometown of Cleveland at the University School in Ohio on November 9, 2012.
Herrick played #1 at Dartmouth before graduating in 1960; in 1983 he won the 45+ World Masters in New Zealand, becoming the first American to win a world singles title. He was the head of Cleveland’s squash association and president of U.S. Squash from 1982 to 1984. He received the President’s Cup in 1988. He was the U.S. men’s team manager at the World Championships four times in the 1980s.
“As his plaque notes, Jack Herrick has been more influential globally than perhaps any other American in squash history,” said Klipstein.
“For the last four decades, he’s been on the forefront of many of the biggest advances of the game worldwide.”
Jack has held dozens of squash roles including president of Jesters, chair of the Friends of Dartmouth Squash, a member of several World Squash Federation committees, and the commissioner of WPSA hardball tour. From 1994 to 2008 he was the Board Chair of the PSA men’s pro squash tour, traveling more than a million air miles to play a central role in the development of the game around the world.
This article, photos, and a video presentation of Jack Herrick’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be seen at: http://www.ussquash.com/2013/01/08/boston-celebrates-u-s-squash-hall-of-fame-acknowledgement-for-two-respected-players-and-advocates/