1941: Badminton

This sport is growing by leaps and bounds as a competitive event, a home game, and as an exhibition feature. Not only were many thousands of spectators thrilled by two top professionals at Radio City, New York, but in amateur ranks as well the sport continues to be of great interest. Competitively it is making remarkable headway, too, with Dave Freeman, of Pasadena, Calif., a twenty-year-old student at Pomona College, Calif., presiding as badminton's top man. Formerly a tennis player of international note, Freeman retained the men's National Championship for its third successive year, defeating Carl Loveday, of Montclair, N. J., for national honors. Loveday later won the Metropolitan New York, Eastern, and New England badminton titles.

Among women badminton stars, of which there are many, Miss Thelma Kingsbury, former English champion, became the women's national badminton title holder. She defeated Miss Evelyn Boldrick, of San Diego, Calif. In the mixed doubles championship, Freeman and Miss Kingsbury took the crown in masterful manner. Freeman and Chester Goss, also of Pasadena, won the men's doubles title, and Miss Kingsbury and Miss Janet Wright, of Oakland, Calif., won the women's doubles crown. Miss Mary Hagan, of the Old Sixty-ninth Badminton Club of New York, exhibited a fine brand of playing which earned her both the Eastern and Metropolitan New York titles.

Among badminton organizations in New York, Central 'Y' won the men's Class A team title of the Metropolitan Badminton Association. Spencer Davis is the standout among college players, winning the Eastern intercollegiate title when he was a sophomore at Princeton. John P. Laimbeer and Julian H. Burgess of the Garden City bc won the sixth annual Middle Atlantic doubles championship.

1940: Badminton

Badminton likes to claim its origin in New York, with the oldest badminton club in the world, the Badminton Club of the City of New York, as the birthplace of the sport, regardless of those who support some clubs in England for that honor. Major T. J. Oakley Rhinelander, one of the three living founders of the New York club, established in 1878, continues to be one of the staunch supporters of badminton tournaments in New York, but the West has taken over supremacy in the sport during the past two years.

David G. Freeman, of Pasadena, Cal., was largely responsible for California's unprecedented success, for it was he who retained the singles title he won in 1939 and shared the titles in the men's and mixed doubles championships. Again he downed the great Walter Kramer for individual honors, and paired with Chester Goss, of Los Angeles, he upset Hamilton Law and Richard Yaeger, the title holders. Miss Sara Williams paired with him to win the mixed doubles crown.

The outstanding professional players in the United States are Kenneth Davidson, a Scotsman, and Hugh Forgie and Howard Brand, Canadians, who split up in various combinations for singles and doubles matches. Davidson is acknowledged as the cleverest badminton player to watch.

Women who led the field in championship events were Miss Evelyn Boldrick, who captured the national singles title, and Miss Elizabeth Anselm and Miss Helen Zabriskie, the doubles winners, all Californians. The best in the Eastern championships for men were Harold Seavey, of Boston, singles winner, and John Laimbeer and Julian H. Burgiss, in the men's doubles.

1939: Badminton

National.

Badminton is enjoying increased interest both in championship games and in informal games played in clubs and elsewhere. The game brought together more spectators in 1939 than during the previous year and boasts of attracting 200 ranking racquet swingers from all parts of the United States for the third annual championships, held in New York for the first time. Whereas foreigners excelled in the past, Americans are now taking hold, as is seen in the remarkable playing of Bill Markam, a young American professional of New York, who romped to victory over the agile Jack Purcell, of Canada, the perennial badminton star of the English-speaking world.

California seems to foster netmen since Dave Freeman, of Pasadena (the 1938 national junior tennis champion in both singles and doubles) successfully weathered the stiff competition of three days of play to win the men's national singles crown. Along the route he downed Walter Kramer, of Detroit, who had won the championship every year since it was inaugurated in 1937. In the doubles race, the team of Hamilton Law and Richard Yaeger took the national championship in stride.

The women were every bit as remarkable. Miss Mary Whittemore, of Boston, became the new national titleholder, successfully winning the honor from Miss Helen Gibson, and was also the best in the Eastern district. Mrs. Del Barhuff, last year's singles winner, finished third and also shared honors with Miss Zoe Smith in winning the national doubles title.

New Yorkers saw spectacular playing when Paul Vansco, of the Central Badminton Club, bested his opponents to win the Eastern men's title. His phenomenal rise took him from sixth place in the Eastern ranking, and he also defeated Clifton Stephens, the newly crowned metropolitan champion.

International.

The International Badminton Federation held its sixth annual meeting in London, attended by representatives of seventeen countries. An offer from Sir George Thomas of a trophy for international competition was accepted and regulations were presented governing the tournament. The Canadian Association suggested a revision of the laws of the game, and new laws embodying the principles of consolidation, improved sequence of presentation and simplification were approved and made effective.

The All-England championship, unofficially representing world ranking, announced its 36th annual competition in 1939, with the Danish entrants as top winners; Tage Madsen in the men's singles, and Mrs. Dalsgard and Miss Olsen in the women's doubles. The men's doubles title went to T. H. Boyle and J. L. Rankin, of Ireland. In the ladies' singles, Mrs. W. R. Walton, of Toronto, won the title. In the Canadian open (amateur and professional) George Goodwin (pro), of Ottawa, won the singles title; and Paul and Jim Snyder (amateurs) of Waterloo, Ont., won the doubles.

1938: Badminton

The 1938 report of the American Badminton Association shows a growth during the past year of the number of clubs in the United States from 155 to 229. An annual meeting of the American Badminton Association was held at the Penn Athletic Club in Philadelphia on March 26 and the following officers were elected: W. Hamilton Walter of Chicago, President; W. West Frazier 3rd of Philadelphia and Orville H. Mills of Seattle, Vice-Presidents; and Norval P. Trimborn, of Chicago, Secretary-Treasurer. The second annual championships held at the Penn Athletic Club in Philadelphia from March 23 to 26, were represented by players from every section of the country, indicating a widespread interest in this relatively new American sport.

The men's singles championship was won by Walter Kramer of Detroit who defeated William Markham of New York City, 15-12, 17-15. The women's singles title was won (7-11, 11-6, 11-4) by Mrs. D. K. Barkhuff of Seattle in a closely-played match with Mary Whittemore the left-handed Boston star. The women's doubles were won (18-13, 10-15, 18-14) by Mrs. Roy Berg and Helen Gibson of Westport, Conn., who took from their Seattle opponents, Mrs. Barkhuff and Zoe Smith the national women's doubles title which they won in 1937. Hamilton Law and R. Yeager, both of Seattle, won the men's doubles title from the Californians Donald Eversoll and Chester Goss, with a score of 15-10, 15-10. The mixed doubles title was retained by the Seattle players, Mrs. Barkhuff and Hamilton Law, when they defeated the contenders Mrs. George W. Wightman of Boston and Chester Goss of Los Angeles by a score of 15-5, 15-11.