******8THE WHIRLWIND JOHNSON FOUNDATION, RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION PROJECT!
A GRANT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO START TO REVAMP THE DR. JOHNSON TENNIS COURT AND HOME! I WILL ADD MORE PICTURES AND UPDATES ON THE PROJECT, AND HOW IT IS COMING ALONG! THE HOME IS LOCATED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY PARENTS OLD HOME, (I STILL OWN IT) SO YOU KNOW I’LL KEEP AN EYE ON IT! THE HOME AND FUTURE TENNIS COURT IS LOCATED AT 1422 PIERCE ST. LYNCHBURG, VA!
>>>>>HERE IS A WELL DOCUMENTED TIMELINE OF ATA AND BLACK TENNIS PIONEERS! IT’S CALLED “BREAKING THE BARRIERS!” (CLICK HERE)
BELOW THE PICTURES ARE LINKS TO VIDEOS, HISTORY, AND THE DONATION PAGE IF YOU WANT TO HELP!
IF THERE WERE NOT TENNIS GREATS AND COACHES, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN PLAYERS LIKE THE GREAT WILLIAMS SISTERS! ME, LIVING NEXT DOOR TO DR. JOHNSON, MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN TENNIS? IF I HAD, I MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN INTERESTED IN RADIO…WHAT THEN? I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS SPORTS HISTORY LESSON IN PICTURES!
Here is the future of the court...The grading has been done!
Keep coming back for more updates!
The side fence rails are up! More to come!
The fence is up, and the night floodlights!
The damaged water main has been replaced and reconnected!
Spring should resume the building of the tennis court and Dr. J's home! More to come!
MC, Lange Johnson!
Ribbon Cutting!
Here's Lenny Simpson, Waltee Johnson Moore, Dr. Melvin Pinn!
The Dr. Johnson picture display!
A Kodak moment for two TV personalities....Andre Whitehead, Valencia Jones!
Eileen Johnson, Dr. Melvin Pinn, Lange Johnson, Rev Carl B. Hutcherson Jr!
Always on the Tennis court, Elmer & Maxine Reid!
The project continues! This is Doc's dog house located in the rear of the house! Doc did a lot of hunting for recreation, and boy did those dogs bark! Stay tuned for up-dates!
Elmer Reid, takes it upon himself to tidy up the Johnson property!
The Johnson garage, doghouse, and storage building has been finished!
Bobby Johnson and JoLynn Johnson at the tennis seminar in Riverside Park, September 2022!
Maxine and Elmer Reid were at the seminar too in September 2022!
It was a beautiful ribbon cutting event!
To go to the Whirlwind Johnson Foundation and get the latest in how the project is coming along! (CLICK HERE)
Here is an update on Juan Farrow, another student of Dr. Johnson! (CLICK HERE)
Watch this youtube video about Dr. J and Tennis History! (CLICK HERE)
Here is Lange Johnson’s acceptance speech for Dr. Johnsons ITHF Class of 2009! (CLICK HERE)
If you would like to donate to this great cause, and keep Tennis alive in Lynchburg! (CLICK HERE)
*****WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU OF THE PASSING OF TENNIS GREAT AND FOUNDER LANGE JOHNSON, MARCH 28TH, 2022! WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THIS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION WILL CONTINUE!!******
DR. JOHNSON AND A FEW SHOTS OF TENNIS GREATS!
Oscar Johnson, the first Black to win the USTL!
Here is Jimmy McDaniels who won three star titles!
Richard Hudlin!
Lorraine Williams!
Ora Washington!
Richard Choen!
Reginald Wear!
Tennis Group!
Lewis Graves!
Billy Davis!
Dr. J's home, across the street from my parents house!
Dr. Johnson's Laundromat on 5th St! My parents used to wash and dry a lot of clothes there in the 60's!
Classic Jr. J!
Tennis Group!
Tennis Group!
Early Althea Gibson!
Fred Johnson! Althea Gibson's first coach....he played tennis with only one arm!
Fred Johnson!
Dr. J. & Althea Gibson!
First Davis Cup won by Gibson!
Althea Gibson the star of a ticker-tape parade!
Althea Gibson!
Harlem Cosmopolitan Club!
Tennis Group!
Tennis Group!
George Stewart!
Tennis Group, The Reids! They also lived across the street from Dr. J's court!
Tennis Group, center Ethel Reid!
Tennis Group, Bottom row center, Elmer Reid!
Tennis Group!
Juan Farrow, who lived next door to Dr. J's court!
Tennis Group!
Tennis Group!
Lloyd Scott!
Arthur Ashe!
Arthur Ashe!
Arthur Ashe won the US open, Forest Hills in 1968! Here is Arthur with his Dad!
Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon in 1975 over Jimmy Conners!
John Wilkerson!
Benny Simms!
Ronnie Harmon!
MaliVai Washington!
Bonnie Logan!
Leslie Allen!
Zena Garrison!
Art Carrington!
IF THERE WERE NOT TENNIS GREATS AND COACHES, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN PLAYERS LIKE THE GREAT WILLIAMS SISTERS! ME, LIVING NEXT DOOR TO DR. JOHNSON, MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN TENNIS? IF I HAD, I MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN INTERESTED IN RADIO…WHAT THEN? I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS SPORTS HISTORY LESSION IN PICTURES!
