Who Was Chuck McKinley?

Chuck McKinley, Wimbledon champion, leans backward to keep balance after returning shot to Herbert Fiztgibbons in their semi-finals match in National Clay Courts tennis tournament in River Forest, Illinois on July 19, 1963. McKinley won, 6-3, 6-3. 7-5, to advance to the finals. 

     Chuck grew up in a very blue-collar environment as he was born in Dallas, Texas on January 5, 1941 from Charles and Edna McKinley and quickly moving to the city of St. Louis, Missouri at a very young age. At 5 foot 8 inches in height, he excelled in essentially every sporting event involving the use of his hands, including but not limited to, tennis, table tennis, basketball, and baseball. Furthermore, according to long friend and college teammate John Newman, Chuck was nominated to the All-State high school basketball team in St. Louis (Personal interview, 2018). In addition, Chuck trained daily with professional table tennis coach, Bill Price.

     After playing tennis throughout most of his adolescent life, it was then time for Chuck to eventually make the decision on a university to pursue his collegiate tennis career.