Greenville, SC
Inducted December 2018
CHARLES HARDAWAY, A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF GREENVILLE, WAS ONE OF THE STATE’S MOST OURSTANDING JUNIOR, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE PLAYERS DURING THE 1960’S WHO CONTINUES TO COMPETE IN ADULT TOURNAMENTS.
PLAYED SIX YEARS OF GREENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL UNDER HALL OF FAME COACH WILTON MCKINNEY:
- SERVED AS TEAM CAPTAIN BOTH HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR SEASONS.
- WON FIVE STATE HIGH SCHOOL SINGLES TITLES.
- WON SIX STATE HIGH SCHOOL DOUBLES TITLES
- THE TEAM WON FIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
- THE TEAM WON THE SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1967.
HE HAD OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AS A JUNIOR AND ACHIEVED HIGH RANKINGS AT THE STATE, SECTIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS:
- WON FIVE SINGLES TITLES AND DOUBLES TITLES AT THE PALMETTO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BELTON.
- WON NUMEROUS TITLES AT THE STATE CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS AND STATE JAYCEE TOURNAMENT.
- RECEIVED THE CHATTANOOGA TIMES SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD AT THE 14U NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1963.
- WON THE 1965 SOUTHERN CLOSED 16U DOUBLES WITH PARTNER ZAN GUERRY.
- RANKED #1 IN THE STATE IN SINGLES AND DOUBLES SEVERAL TIMES, #3 IN THE SOUTH AND #7 IN THE NATION.
- NAMED TO THE FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA JUNIOR DAVIS CUP TEAM IN 1965, AND AGAIN IN 1966.
AFTER GRADUATING FROM GREENVILLE HIGH CHARLES ENTERED THE CITADEL IN 1967 WHERE HE COMPILED AN OUTSTANDING RECORD DURING HIS FOUR YEARS AS A STARTER ON THE TEAM:
- WON THE FIFTH FLIGHT SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SINGLES TITLE AS A SOPHOMORE, 1 OF ONLY 14 SOCAN SINGLES TITLES IN SCHOOL HISTORY.
- PLAYED #1 SINGLES AND DOUBLES HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS.
- SERVED AS TEAM CAPTAIN HIS SENIOR YEAR.
- RECEIVED THE 1971 MARION S. LEWIS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SPORTSMANSHIP, LEADERSHIP AND COMPETITIVE DRIVE.
FOLLOWING COLLEGE HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BEFORE RETURNING TO GREENVILLE WHERE HE HAS CONTINUED PLAYING TENNIS. HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:
- WON THE MICHIGAN/WISCONSIN MEN’S OPEN SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1972 WHILE SERVING IN THE AIR FORCE.
- COMPETED IN STATE, SOUTHERN AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS BETWEEN 1985 AND 2010, EXCELLING IN DOUBLES, WINNING 8 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
- HE AND HIS WIFE TRACY WON THE SOUTH CAROLINA CLAY COURT AND HARD COURT HUSBAND WIFE CHAMPIONSHIPS FOUR TIMES BETWEEN 1985 AND 1990. THEY WON THE CONSOLATION AT THE 2010 NATIONAL HUSBAND/WIFE GRASS COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 120 COMBINED AGE DIVISION. CHARLES EARNED 12 #1 STATE ADULT DOUBLES RANKING AND HE AND TRACY WERE RANKED #3 IN THE SOUTH IN MIXED DOUBLES IN 2010.
CHARLES AND HIS FAMILY ARE STRONG ADVOCATES OF TENNIS. HE SERVED AS THE FUND RAISING CHAIRMAN FOR THE 1981 AMERICAN FEDERAL PRO TENNIS CLASSIC AT GREENVILLE COUNTRY CLUB, WHICH SHOWCASED THE TALENTS OF TOP PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS. THE HARDAWAY’S FUNDED TWO VARSITY COURTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TWO COURTS AT THE KROC CENTER IN GREENVILLE, WHERE HE SERVES AS A VOLUNTEER TENNIS INSTRUCTOR FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS AT THE LEGACY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL. HE ALSO FOUNDED THE CITADEL BULLDOG TENNIS ASSOCIATION WHICH RAISES FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE TENNIS TEAM AND THEIR SCHOLARSHIP FUND.
