Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Van Alen, James H., 1902-1991 |
Notes |
James Van Alen (1902-1991) was a champion tennis player whose scoring system V.A.S.S.S. (Van Alen Simplified Scoring System) was a tie breaking system which sped up the game and helped to popularize the sport. Mr. Van Alen graduated from Cambridge University in 1924. Van Alen served in the U.S. Navy from 1940 to 1945, retiring as a lieutenant commander. Mr. Van Alen saved the Newport Casino, built in 1879, from the hands of real estate developers and became its president in 1952. He and his wife were devoted to numerous causes and charities, including the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, which received a $1 million gift from Candace Van Alen in July 2001. The library plans to build a climate-controlled gallery named after the couple. |
