Blue Gray Championships

The Blue Gray Championships was a men's and women's open international tennis tournament was founded in 1949.^[1] Also known as the Blue Gray Invitation the tournament was first played at the Montgomery Country Club, Montgomery, Alabama, United States.^[2] It was played annually until 1978 as an individual competition when it was discontinued.^[2] In 1984 it was revived as team only competition called the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic that is still active.^[1]

The tournament was conceived by Jack Bushman the President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association.^[1] In 1949 he established the event was based upon the Sugar Bowl Tennis Championships.^[1] This tournament was to be played before the Blue–Gray Football Classic was being held and first occurred in 1950.^[1] The main difference between this event and the Sugar Bowl tennis event, it was to be an open international tournament for college (university) players rather than junior players.^[1] The inaugural winners of the singles events were Jack Tuero (men) and Elinor Shaw (women).^[1] The tournament also featured doubles events.^[2]

The championships were held at the Montgomery Country Club from inception until 1968. In 1969 he moved location to Huntingdon College but was not held that year.^[2] In 1973 it moved the Lagoon Park Tennis Center before moving to the O’Connor Tennis Center during the last few editions all of were in Montgomery, Alabama.^[1] In 1978 the event was discontinued as an individual competition,^[1] however exhibition events under the brand name the Blue Gray Invitation^[2] continued to held. In 1983 the format for the tournament was a changed to become team only competition to be played as a lead up event to the NCAA Championships.^[1] In 1984 the first edition of the rebranded Blue Gray National Tennis Classic was held.^[1]

Notes: Where a runner up is not shown or the score sections have been blanked.

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949[1]	Jack Tuero	Herbert "Buddy" Behrens	6–0, 6–2, 7–9, 9–11, 6–1.[2]
1950[1]	Ricardo Balbiers	Wade Herren	6–4, 6–1, 6–2.[2]
1951[1]	Jack Tuero (2)	Tony Trabert	9–7, 9–7, 0–6, 5–7, 6–1.[2]
1952[1]	Don Kaiser[3]	Wade Herren	6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
1953[1]	Ham Richardson	Don Kaiser	6–1, 6–2, 6–3.[2]
1954[1]	Allen Morris	José Agüero Umatino	9–7, 6–4, 0–6, 6–4.[2]
1955[1]	Eddie Moylan	Allen Morris	3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 15–13.[2]
1956[1]	Wade Herren[4]	Johann Kupferburger	4–6, 7–5, 6–0.[2]
1957[1]	William Quillian	Barry MacKay (tennis)	6–4, 6–4, 6–4.[2]
1958[1]	Gustavo Palafox	Ronald Holmberg	6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4.[2]
1959[1]	Ronald Holmberg	Gerald Moss	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4.[2]
1960[1]	Crawford Henry	Henry "Hank" Jungle[5]	7–5 6–4.[2]
1961[1]	Myron Franks	Billy Lenoir	6–1, 8–6, 6–2.[2]
1962[1]	Mike Belkin	Norm Perry	8–6, 4–6, 6–4.[2]
1963[1]	Billy Lenoir	Andrew Lloyd	6–1, 2–6, 6–2.[2]
1964[1]	Andrew Lloyd	Robert Brien	1–6, 6–3, 6–1.[2]
1965[1]	J. W. Bitsy Harrison	Bill Tym	11–9, 6–2.[2]
1966[1]	Tom Edlefsen	Cliff Buchholz	6–2, 6–3.[2]
1967[1]	Mike Belkin (2)	Herb Fitzgibbon	9–11, 7–5, 6–2.[2]
1968[1]	Joaquín Loyo-Mayo	Vicente Zarazúa	6–1, 6–1.[2]
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[1]	Peter van Lingen	Paul Gerken	11–9 4–6 6–3.[2]
1971[1]	Humphrey Hose	Mike Belkin	7–5 6–0 7–6.[2]
1972[1]	Humphrey Hose (2)	Fred McNair	7–6, 6–7, 6–3.[2]
1973[1]	Raz Reid	Sashi Menon	6–3, 7–6.[2]
1974[1]	Victor Amaya	Tim Vann	7–6, 5–7, 7–7.[6]
1975[1]	Butch Walts	Fred DeJesus	6–4, 6–4.[7]
1976[1]	Terry Moor	Nick Saviano	6–4, 6–4.[2]
1977[1]	Terry Moor (2)	Marcelo Lara	6–2, 6–3.[2]
1978[1]	Warren Eber[8]	Eddie Edwards	4–6, 7–6, 6–3.[9]
For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic

(incomplete roll)

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Score
1949	Elinor Shaw	Ewing McAllester	6–4, 8–6
1950[10]	Suzanne Herr	Lucy Masterson	3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1953	Jean Clarke[11]	Laura Lou Kunnen	6–4, 6–4
1954	Jean Clarke (2)	Pat Stewart	6–3, 6–3
1955	Yola Ramirez	Jean Clarke	7–9, 6–3, 6–3
1956	Karol Fageros	Yola Ramirez	6–3, 6–3
1957	Owen McHaney	Raymonde Veber Jones	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1958	Owen McHaney (2)	Marta Hernández	8–6, 6–4
1959	Carol Hanks	Marie Martin	6–4, 7–5
1960	Susan Butt	Linda Vail	6–2, 6–2
1961	Roberta Alison	Mary Habicht	6–4, 2–6, 6–1
1962	Roberta Alison (2)	Mary Habicht	6–0, 6–3
1963	Justina Bricka	Stephanie DeFina	3–6, 8–6, 6–2
1964	Roberta Alison (3)	Becky Vest	6–0, 6–4
1965	Roberta Alison (4)	Stephanie DeFina	3–6, 7–5, 6–0
1966	Becky Vest	Linda Tuero	6–3, 2–6, 6–2
1968	Linda Tuero	Emilie Burrer	6–0, 6–4
↓  Open era  ↓
1970[12]	Laura duPont	Kathy Kraft	6–1, 6–2
1972	Pat Bostrom	Beverly Barger	6–4, 6–2
1973[13]	Betsy Butler	Susan Vinton	6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1974[14]	Linda Rupert	Betsy Butler	6–1, 6–4
1975[15]	Beth Norton	Candy Reynolds	6–2, 6–3
1977	Kate Latham	Kathy Kuykendall	7–6, 6–2
For the team event see Blue Gray National Tennis Classic