Anna McCune Harper explained

Anna McCune Harper
Fullname:Anna Virginia McCune Harper
Birth Date:Anna Virginia McCune
2 July 1902
Death Place:Moraga, California, U.S.
Retired:1932
Plays:Left-handed [1]
Wimbledonresult:4R (1931)
Usopenresult:F (1930)
Usopendoublesresult:F (1928, 1930)
Wimbledonmixedresult:W (1931)
Usopenmixedresult:F (1931)
Team:Yes
Wightmancupresult:W (1931, 1932)

Anna McCune Harper (née Anna Virginia McCune, July 2, 1902 – June 14, 1999) was a female tennis player from the U.S. She won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1931 partnering George Lott. She was the runner-up in singles at the 1930 U.S. Championships, losing to Betty Nuthall. She also was the runner-up in women's doubles at the 1928, 1930, and 1932 U.S. Championships and in mixed doubles at the 1931 edition of these championships.

Harper was ranked in the U.S. top 10 on five consecutive years from 1928 through 1932 and was top ranked in 1930.[2]

Biography

In 1924, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley,[3] where she joined the sorority Sigma Kappa.[4] In 1925, she married Lawrence Averell Harper, a history professor at Berkeley.[5] Through the following years, she ranked in the U.S. top 10 players, including 1930 when she ranked at the best player.

In 1932, Harper was called home because of an illness in her family.[6] She gave up tournament tennis for other tasks, including raising her three children, but continued to follow the game and played for many years.

Harper served as the national president of her sorority Sigma Kappa from 1939 to 1942.

Harper was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.[7]

Around 1983, she had arthroscopic knee surgery at age 81 so she could continue to play. An adverse reaction to a general anesthetic sidelined her for good and then precipitated a slow decline in her health. Harper is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles : 2 runners-up

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss 1928Grass 2–6, 2–6
Loss 1930Grass Edith Cross 6–3, 3–6, 5–7

Mixed doubles : 1 title, 1 runner-up

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win 1931WimbledonGrass 6–3, 1–6, 6–1
Loss 1931U.S. ChampionshipsGrass 3–6, 3–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 Career SR
Australian ChampionshipsAAAAAAAA0 / 0
French ChampionshipsAAAAAAAA0 / 0
Wimbledon3R1RAAAA4R1R0 / 4
U.S. ChampionshipsAAA3R3RFQFQF0 / 5
SR0 / 10 / 10 / 00 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 20 / 20 / 9

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Leader is left hander . The Cincinnati Enquirer . February 15, 1931 . 25 . A left-hander, Mr. Harper started playing tennis in Pacific Grove, Calif., about 12 years ago.. Newspapers.com . limited.
  2. Book: United States Tennis Association . 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook . H.O. Zimman, Inc. . Lynn, Massachusetts . 1988 . 260 .
  3. Web site: Dwight Chapin . Tennis pro, national star Anna McCune Harper . . June 16, 1999.
  4. Web site: On Sigma Kappa's Birthday - a Wimbledon Champ Who Was National President . Becque . Fran . 2013-11-09 . Fraternity History & More . en-US . 2019-08-30.
  5. Web site: Lawrence Averell Harper, History: Berkeley . Calisphere.
  6. Web site: Tennis . June 17, 1999 . Los Angeles Times.
  7. Web site: Anna McCune Harper . California Golden Bears.