Nancy Jeffett, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame as well as the 2016 RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on July 6, 2017. She was 88.

“It was an honor to have Nancy Jeffett at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas and induct her into the tournament Hall of Fame,” Tournament Chairman Glen Agritelley said. “She has contributed so much to the game.  She will be missed, but her legacy will remain”.

Jeffett made a huge impact on the sport of tennis, specifically in the promotion of women’s tennis. She also co-founded the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, with it’s namesake. In 1969, the Maureen Connolly Brinker Memorial Tournament was formed, which in 1972 became the first televised women’s tournament. The event later became the Virginia Slims of Dallas.

She received both the USTA Service Bowl and the Golden Achievement Award, which is given jointly by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation. Jeffett is also the only female American who had not won a Wimbledon title to be named an honorary member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

A memorial service will be held on July 14 at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Dallas.