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International Tennis Hall of Fame Presents Franklin R. Johnson with Samuel Hardy Award

NEWPORT, RI — The International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced that USTA Immediate Past President Franklin R. Johnson has been named the recipient of the 2007 Samuel Hardy Award. This award is given annually to a volunteer(s) of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in recognition of long and outstanding service to the sport of tennis. This prominent tennis award was presented to Johnson today at a special luncheon held in the Vista Ballroom of the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, during the United States Tennis Association Annual Meeting.

Franklin R. Johnson has served on the USTA Board for 11 years, starting with two terms as a Director at Large, followed by one term as the Secretary-Treasurer, one as First Vice President and then as Chairman of the Board and President for 2005-06. As Chairman of the Board and President, Johnson oversaw significant strides in the landscape of tennis, from the emphasis on public parks to the renaming of the USTA National Tennis Center in honor of Hall of Famer Billie Jean King.

Currently, Johnson is the Chairman of the USTA Past President’s Committee. He is a member of the board’s International Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation and on the Executive Committee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Johnson also is Vice President of the ITF and a member of the ITF Board and the ITF Finance Committee, as well as the Chair of the ITF Media Commission. He was also a member of the Grand Slam Committee, 2003-06.

In his 10 years as a member of the USTA Board of Directors, Johnson became the first-ever Chair of the Budget and Investment Committee and also served as Chair of the Compensation Committee. Prior to his commitments as the USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Johnson was the Board Liaison to the Multicultural Participation Committee and the Advisory Group on Committees, as well as the Board Division Leader for the Professional Player Division.

A former President of the USTA Southern California Section, Johnson served on the Section Presidents Committee; the Finance, Audit and Evaluations Committee; and the Olympic Committee. Moreover, he has for many years served as the Tournament Chair of the Countrywide Classic, a US Open Series event held annually in Los Angeles and owned by the USTA Southern California Section, and he serves on the board of the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, an ATP Masters Series event that he was instrumental in keeping in the United States.

Johnson also thrived outside tennis. He enjoyed a 36-year career with the international accounting firm Price Waterhouse LLP, serving as the Managing Partner of the firm’s entertainment industry practice. In that capacity, he oversaw the balloting for the Academy Awards for 22 years. Johnson now serves as a business consultant and expert witness in entertainment industry litigation and also serves on the boards of two public companies.

Johnson received a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. degree from UCLA. He and his wife, Anne, who serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Music Center and the California State Summer School for the Arts, have two children and one grandchild. They live in Los Angeles and Johnson is a member of the USTA Southern California Section.

Franklin Johnson’s biographical information is courtesy of the USTA/USTA.com.

Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The International Tennis Hall of Fame was recognized as the sport’s official Hall of Fame in 1986 by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis. For information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame and its programs, call 401-849-8990 or visit us online at www.tennisfame.com.

Posted on April 15, 2008
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