Pastime Into Profession

To the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, William O'Brien is Public Enemy No. 1. For the past four years U.S.L.T.A. has watched Mr. O'Brien woo away from amateurism the cream of the nation's tennis crop. Last year his prize catch was Ellsworth Vines. With Vines, William Tilden, Bruce Barnes and Vincent Richards, Promoter O'Brien played 75 towns and cities, taught the public to like professional tennis exhibitions, grossed $243,000 from 352,412 customers. But no theatrical producer puts on the same thing year after year. Casting about for a new act to liven up his show, Promoter O'Brien selected the great doubles team of George Lott and Lester Stoefen. Three weeks ago Tennist Lott capitulated to Mr. O'Brien's cash proposal. Last week Tennist Stoefen, who with Lott scored the only U. S. point against Britain in the Davis Cup challenge round at Wimbledon last August, decided to turn his pastime into a profession.

The chief threat to amateur tennis is a man of jovial mien. Plump Bill O'Brien was born 39 years ago in Manhattan. He took up professional baseball, became an accountant, was rejected by the Army because of poor eyesight, squeaked through a second examination to become the champion machine-gun marksman of the Tenth Division. After the War he studied osteopathy, trained Harry Greb, the French Davis Cup team, Suzanne Lenglen, Red Grange, Richards, Hunter, Tilden.

He became an impresario of professional tennis in 1928 when he imported Czechoslovakian Karel Kozeluh for an exhibition tour. In 1931 he recruited Francis T. Hunter after that wealthy New Yorker had dropped some $3,000,000 in the stockmarket. That year Tilden also turned professional. Last year in partnership with Tilden Mr. O'Brien amply demonstrated that a big tennis player can cash in handsomely on his talents. Net of last year's operations was $144,000. Vines got a flat 50% of that. This year he is going to get only 12 1/2% of the gross, expected to run around $200,000. The new attractions, Lott and Stoefen, will be paid on the same basis.

William O'Brien may. yet make over the international tennis world. Minimum result of his raids upon the amateur ranks may be that U.S.L.T.A. will modify its toplofty attitude toward professionals, sanction open tournaments.

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