Nat Thornton - Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Nomination

Nat Thornton & AAC Tennis Team

A RESILIENT TENNIS CAREER “Largely overlooked, however, is the man who paved the way for Owens and Grant - a man who ushered in what has been described as the Golden Era of tennis in Georgia...”

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the southern states, and especially Georgia, have produced many great tennis champions. Frank “Hop” Owens, was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (GSHOF) in 1979 for his successful tennis career throughout the 1920’s. Bryan “Bitsy” Grant was inducted into the GSHOF in 1965 for his many tennis titles won throughout the 1930’s. Largely overlooked, however, is the man who paved the way for Owens and Grant - a man who ushered in what has been described as the Golden Era of tennis in Georgia: Dr. Nathaniel Thornton. Nat, as he was known, brought the first southern tennis championship to Georgia by winning the 1903 singles title at the Gulf States Tennis Championships. On a larger stage, Thornton and his partner, Bryan Grant Sr., shined a brighter light on Georgia tennis by winning the doubles title of the Southern Tennis Championship in 1906. The Southern was considered the grandfather of all tennis tournaments in the south due to its 1885 founding, and its field of competitors including club and state champions from 8 states and 42 tennis clubs that made up the Southern Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA). The SLTA is the predecessor to the Southern Section of the USTA. Dr. Thornton’s tennis career spanned almost 3 decades beginning with his first title in 1901 at the

age of 17, and culminating with his last title in 1927 at age 44. During those 27 years, Thornton won at least 38 titles, including virtually every southern state and regional championship in singles and doubles at least once. Numbered among his titles were state championships in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia. Nat won the Southern Championship of the U.S. in singles 3 times and in doubles 5 times. He also won the prestigious Gulf States Championship in singles 3 times, hosted at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club, the oldest tennis club in America. Thornton won the South Atlantic States Championship 4 times in singles and 3 times in men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Winning this tournament carried a higher level of pride for him since several of those victories were at Atlanta Athletic Club, his home club, and the club that also produced GSHOF inductees, Grant and Owens. Bryan Grant, the father of GSHOF inductee Bitsy Grant was Thornton’s partner for the majority of his doubles championships. They made a prolific team and even finished second in the 1907 U.S. National Tennis Championships (now known as the U.S. Open). A capstone to his long and successful tennis career, Thornton’s final championship title, the 1927 Georgia State Doubles, was played at his home club with his partner and GSHOF member, Hop Owens.

GEORGIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME / DR. NATHANIEL THORNTON