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NEWPORT, R.I. — The International Tennis Hall of Fame will present the 2010 Samuel Hardy and Tennis Educational Merit Awards on April 2 during the International Tennis Hall of Fame Annual Awards Luncheon, which will be held in conjunction with the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) Annual Meeting in Naples, Fla. Jodie Adams, a parks and recreation professional from Springfield, Mo., who has been active in growing tennis programs in parks nationally, will receive the prestigious Samuel Hardy Award. The Tennis Educational Merit Award will be presented to Leslie Allen of New York, N.Y., Dale Caldwell of New Brunswick, N.J., and Coach Daniel “Dan” Magill, Jr. of Athens, Ga. Allen is a former top-20 WTA player who has stayed active in the sport and is the founder of a youth program that uses tennis as a platform for personal development. Dale Caldwell is a business executive and tennis enthusiast who has been highly involved with USTA programming for tennis in schools, USTA strategic development and with educating people on African American history in tennis. University of Georgia’s legendary Daniel “Dan” Magill, Jr. is a Georgia sports and collegiate tennis icon, who held the position of head tennis coach for 34 years and developed one of the finest collegiate tennis programs in the nation.

“We are very pleased to recognize these individuals, and we are grateful for the tremendous contributions they have made to tennis over the years,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. “Very much in the spirit of Samuel Hardy, Jodie has donated countless hours toward the growth of the sport by making it more accessible with her work in parks. Leslie and Coach Magill have engaged many young people in the game and helped them to utilize tennis to create opportunities. Dale’s work with the USTA and the Hall of Fame has been instrumental in growing the game and persevering and promoting its rich history. These awards are an expression of appreciation for all the work that they have done to grow tennis and to provide opportunities for so many in the game we all love and work to improve every day.”

The Samuel Hardy Award is presented annually by the International Tennis Hall of Fame to a volunteer of the USTA in recognition of long and outstanding service to the sport of tennis. The award was established in 1953 in memory of Hardy, who served on various USTA committees in his lifetime. The award was established to honor USTA volunteers who exemplify Hardy’s dedication and loyalty to the sport of tennis.

The Tennis Educational Merit award is given annually to individual(s) who are United States citizens and have made notable contributions in the tennis education field at the national level. Award winners have repeatedly demonstrated leadership and creative skills in tennis instruction, writing, organization and promotion of the game of tennis.

Springfield-Greene County Park Board Director Jodie Adams has played an integral role in growing tennis through accessible parks and recreation programs for many years. Adams has played an active leadership role in the USTA’s efforts to develop a partnership with the National Park and Recreation Association through the “Tennis in the Parks” program. The 10-year partnership is a strategic initiative designed to help improve and expand opportunities in local communities for the public to learn and play tennis as a lifelong sport. The program focuses on quality tennis programming, facility development, maintenance, and advocacy. Adams’ additional contributions include: serving on a number of USTA National Committees for more than 25 years; currently serving on the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials Board of Directors; serving on the Springfield Sports Commission and Hall of Fame Boards; serving as a member of the Missouri and Springfield Sports Hall of Fames. For her service to the sport Adams’ was awarded the 2009 USTA President’s Award and the 2007 USTA/NPPTA Hollis Smith Lifetime Achievement Award. Adams played NCAA Division I Tennis for Missouri State University and for the USTA Pro Circuits.

Though unranked in junior tennis, Leslie Allen excelled to become an ATA, NCAA and WTA champion. She is an honor graduate of the University of Southern California, a 10-year WTA Tour competitor and achieved a singles world ranking of No. 17. Winning the singles title at the Avon Championships of Detroit, Allen made history in 1981 as the first African American woman to win a pro tournament since Althea Gibson’s 1957 US Open victory. Allen won a combined nine singles and doubles WTA Tour titles. Allen is committed to making a difference in the lives of others, throughout her career and has given back to tennis wearing many hats. She has served as a representative for the Top 20 Players on the WTA Tour Board of Directors, chairperson USTA Fed Cup Committee, WTA Tour tournament director, TV commentator, international corporate media and promotions director, a successful NCAA Division I women’s varsity head coach, and a boys and girls high school coach. Allen also lent her support to the Arthur Ashe Endowment for the Defeat of AIDS, National Junior Tennis & Learning, and countless community tennis initiatives. As the founder and executive director of the Leslie Allen Foundation (LAF), she now focuses on the unique Win4Life program which prepares students to be winners on and off the court and provides them with insight to the 100+ careers behind the scenes in professional sports. Since 2002, Win4Life programs have positively impacted hundreds of students with the motto “Tennis is more than just hitting a ball.”

Dale G. Caldwell began serving a first two-year term as a director-at-large on the USTA Board of Directors in January 2011. He is the chairman of the Strategic and Creative Planning Committee and serves as the board liaison to the Opportunity and Education Council. Previously, Caldwell served in numerous capacities for the USTA Eastern Section, including as the section’s president, 2006-2008, and delegate, 2009-2010. Nationally, he served as chairman of the Tennis on Campus Committee, as vice chairman of the Tennis Innovation Committee, and as a member of the Section Leadership Team and the Schools Committee. He was the No. 1 player on his high school team in New Haven, Conn., and played for Princeton University. Caldwell earned his certification as a Level 1 USPTA teaching professional in 1985 and garnered a men’s singles ranking in the USTA Middle States Section while earning his M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He is currently the president and chief executive officer of Tempus Management Consulting, LLC, providing strategic, financial and operations consulting advice to senior executives. Caldwell has also been an active volunteer inside and outside tennis, particularly focusing on educational causes in New Jersey. In 2006, he served as the volunteer curator for the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum’s Breaking the Barriers exhibition, which showcased the important history of African Americans in tennis.

Daniel “Dan” Magill, Jr., longtime sports information director, head tennis coach, and Georgia Bulldog Club secretary for the University of Georgia, is highly regarded throughout the state of Georgia and the South for his unparalleled contributions to the Georgia Bulldog athletic program. Following his time in military service, Magill wrote for the Atlanta Journal, serving as the Prep Sports Editor. In 1949, Magill became the sports information director for the university. His passion for the Bulldogs was evident as he personally covered every sport on campus with the passion for promotion for which he was known. Magill added the title of coach to his resume in 1954, taking over as head coach of the struggling Bulldog tennis program. He would keep the title for the next 34 years, building the program into college tennis’ most honored with a 706-183 record, 13 SEC outdoor championships, 8 SEC indoor championships, and 2 national championships. In addition, he built the university’s tennis complex, considered the finest in the country, and brought the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame to Athens, which was named in his honor. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of tennis. Since 1955, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has inducted 218 people representing 19 countries.

For additional information about the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, visit tennisfame.com or call 401-849-3990.