Jim Skelton

Major Accomplishments

Captain of the Davis Cup team in 1955 and 1956.
President of the CLTA in 1974 and 1975.
President of the BCLTA in 1971 and 1972.
Former vice-president of the Pacific North West Lawn Tennis Association.

Biography

Skelton was a good player who in his later years contributed to the administration of the game in Canada.

Jim Skelton realized his tennis skills at an early age as he found success on the court when he captured the Pacific Northwest sectionals doubles title in 1935. His tennis playing career, however, was interrupted as he served in the Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Once he returned to civilian life, he won the 1947 British Columbia Clay Court Championships and was ranked in the top 10 in Canada nine times between 1946 and 1955. As a senior he won many national titles in numerous age categories.

Off the court, Skelton was designated as the non-playing captain for the 1955 and 1956 Davis Cup team. He was president of the British Columbia Lawn Tennis Association and vice-president of the Pacific Northwest Tennis Associations. He served on the CLTA governing council between 1971 and 1978 and served as President from 1974 to 1975. During this time he headed the selection committee choosing Canada’s first national coach and saw the creation of the Association’s Patrons Fund.

Skelton was inducted into the USTA Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame in 2004.