Ruth Lay

Ruth began her tennis career as a youngster where she played on her high School team in Vienna, GA, on red clay courts, where she grew up. These courts were eventually named after her. She continued her tennis career at Agnes Scott College, Decatur GA. Ruth began her volunteerism in the 1950's and was instrumental in starting the first ALTA tennis leagues. She expanded her role with volunteer positions with USTA Georgia and USTA Southern, and eventually became a long-time volunteer with the USTA. Ruth began mentoring and coaching of some of the most promising Junior players in Georgia and the South. She was also active in getting College Scholarships for some 50 junior players to colleges throughout the Nation. She had seven players named All American in the NCAA 1, 2, 3, and NAIA. She began her teaching Career at the Cumberland Indoor Tennis Center, the former Racket Club of the South, Horseshoe Bend Tennis Center, Crooked Creek Tennis Center and was Director of Tennis at Alpharetta North Park Tennis Center.

​Prior to that time she was a top ranked player locally in Atlanta, Georgia and the South. She played the circuit from her 30's up into her 60's. She traveled to Wimbledon 9 times, The US Open when it was at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in the 1950's, then every year after, over to Flushing Meadow to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center until 2009. Ruth has been honored with many honors including; ALTA Lifetime Member for Volunteer Service, Hall of Fame for both the GTA and the Southern Associations, USTA National Service Bowl to the player who yearly makes the most notable contribution to the sportsmanship, fellowship and service to tennis, STA Touchstone Trophy for sportsmanship and service by a Senior Player to Southern Tennis, STA Jacobs Bowl for outstanding play and service to Southern Tennis, Who's Who of American Women, International Who's Who of Tennis.

Her service to the game in the promotion of women's tennis is probably unequaled. She was Chairman of the Women's and Girl's Committee of the USTA, the Junior Wightman and Junior Federation Cup Committees, Chairperson for International Play for Juniors, Collegiate, and Amateur Women. She was a member of the Wightman Cup, Federation Cup, Maureen Connally Brinker Cup and U. S. Olympic Committees. She served on the USTA Service Bowl Committee, GTA Board of Directors, Junior and Player Development Committees, STA Collegiate Committees, USTA Federation Cup Committee, and the Georgia Tennis Patrons.. Travel was a favorite, also. In her spare time she would often be seen scoping out any new junior talent on local courts, or watching the Atlanta Braves batting and telling us what they were doing wrong on their swings!