Herman
David

A pioneer of “Open Tennis,” David was a determined advocate of that concept during his long tenure as chairman of the All England club. After holding the first professional tournament at Wimbledon in August 1967, he and his committee made a bold move by proclaiming that all sanctioned tennis tournaments in Great Britain would be open to all players, and there would be no need for a distinction between amateur and professional.  This December 1967 declaration was a crucial step on the way to the start of the Open Era in 1968, beginning with the Hard Court Championships of Great Britain in April.  The French Open was the first of the major events to allow amateurs and professionals to compete together, and Wimbledon was next, thanks largely to the efforts of David.