Franklin Johnson (1936- )

Franklin Johnson is being inducted into the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame on several levels: junior stand-out, college great and community service. His family moved to North Park in 1943, right around the corner from Maureen Connolly, with whom he practiced. He was instructed by the late Wilbur Folsom at University Heights and Morley field. Like Maureen, Franklin won the Harper Ink tournament six times and he received the Ink Sportsmanship Award. He won the San Diego County Men’s Singles in 1952 and went on to triumph in four national championships: the Hard-court 15 and under, the 18 and under singles and doubles and the NCAA Team Championships for UCLA in 1956. Many of Franklin’s USTA accomplishments involve the growth of tennis in the public parks. He was the President of the Southern California Section of the USTA, before serving as the President of the USTA in 2005 and 2006. Franklin has served on the USTA Board of Directors for ten years, in numerous capacities. He is currently the Vice-President of the International Tennis Federation, and serves as a member of its board. Johnson has also been noted for preserving the Indian Wells Tournament in the United States, setting up a new residential player development program at the Evert Academy in Boca Raton and for renaming the National Tennis Center after Billie Jean King. The International Tennis Hall of Fame awarded him the Samuel Hardy Award. He and his wife Anne have two children and one grandchild, and they now reside in Los Angeles.