Malcolm Chace had a tennis career oozing with promise. But at age 21, he inexplicably quit playing. Little is known as to what prompted Chace’s decision, but in a short-lived career he left behind a fascinating legacy. Chace won both the 1893 Intercollegiate Singles and Doubles titles at Brown University and then took his considerable talents to Yale University where he won both titles again in 1894 and 1895, a record that has never been replicated. His success at the U.S. National Championships was fleeting, winning the 1895 men’s doubles championship with Robert Wrenn. The pair advanced to the finals in 1896. Chace rose to a No. 3 U.S. ranking before his career concluded.
An accomplished ice hockey player, Chace is credited as one of the initiators of the game in the United States. He captained Yale’s team against Johns Hopkins in one of the country’s first collegiate games in 1893. It was not quite hockey as we know it, but was won by Yale, 2-0, with both goals scored by Chace.
