Legendary Kentucky Tennis Player Makes Lead Gift for New Courts

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College has received a lead gift to build new tennis courts. 

The lead gift from Henry Baughman of Smithfield, Ky., will allow the college to build a $425,000 tennis complex, according to Lindsey Wilson Athletic Director Willis Pooler. 

"This is an incredible gift to Lindsey Wilson from an extraordinary person because it will provide our student-athletes with some of the top tennis courts in the Mid-South Conference," Pooler said. "Lindsey Wilson has one of the best tennis programs in Kentucky, so it's only appropriate that we also have top-notch tennis courts for our student-athletes. 

"It means so much to our college, tennis program and student-athletes to receive this level of support from a tennis legend such as Henry Baughman." 

Baughman (left), who was born and raised in Lincoln County, Ky., said he made the lead gift to the tennis program because of a lifelong love for the sport and because he believes in the Lindsey Wilson mission to prepare people academically and physically to be productive citizens. 

"Tennis is a sport that can be played throughout one's lifetime, as it only takes one other person to have a game, and it provides exercise benefits as well as stimulating the mind to do well in academic studies or in after-college work," Baughman said. "I also have a great deal of respect for the Lindsey Wilson mission, with its emphasis of serving 'every student, every day.'"

When opened, the tennis complex will feature bleachers and lighted courts, built to United States Tennis Association specifications. 

"One of the challenges our program has had to contend with is having enough playing time during daylight hours," Pooler said. "That's created a lot of problems with student-athletes' class schedules. But with lit courts, our students won't have to juggle as many scheduling demands."  

The LWC women's tennis program has appeared in the last four NAIA national semifinals, and the men's tennis program has reached the national tournament the last seven seasons. 

Baughman is a retired Western Kentucky University professor who taught health and safety, and he helped start the university's emergency medical technologist/training program. 

Baughman grew up watching his late father play tennis. He has been an active tennis player for more than 60 years, and his tennis achievements are legendary. There were no tennis courts in Stanford until his father built an asphalt court in 1952, Baughman's sophomore year at Standford High School.  

Baughman has been ranked No. 1 in Kentucky more than 60 times, and 15 times he has been ranked No. 1 in the nine-state United States Tennis Association Southern, the largest association in the United States. He has also earned a No. 4 national ranking in 70 and over singles. 

Baughman was chosen to the Southern All-Star team for the USTA National Inter-Sectional Championships, where he won three gold medals on the teams that were seven-time national champions. He has won 13 National Public Parks' tennis championships and five National Senior Olympic gold medals. 

Baughman was inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996, and in 2007 he was honored with the fifth Kentucky Player of the Year award and first Southern Player of the Year award. Also in 1997, he received the Slew Hester Adult Achievement award for being ranked in the USTA Southern top five for 25 consecutive years.