W&M names tennis facility in honor of Millie West

by Tribe Athletics | May 7, 2010

Over the last half century Millie West has had a positive impact on the College of William and Mary and its athletics department as a coach, administrator and fundraiser. In honor of her 50 years of service, Tribe athletics director Terry Driscoll announced the naming of the Millie West Tennis Facility. The complex, which is located behind William and Mary Hall and was formerly named the Anheuser-Busch Courts, is the outdoor home of both the men’s and women’s Tribe tennis programs.

After retiring as the Associate Athletics Director at the College in 1991, West assumed the role of Director of Special Projects. She is also the curator, and 1998 inductee, of the ITA Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. West, who was awarded the USTA Educational Merit Award in 1985, is a member of the W&M Athletic Hall of Fame and has been given the status of Honorary Alumni at William and Mary. She also has served on executive committees for the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Williamsburg Community Health Founda-tion. West was instrumental in the organizing and enacting the College’s recently held event, ‘Celebration of Women in Athletics.’

In honor of her service to W&M, the College announced the naming of the Mille B. West Tennis Facility.

“It is most appropriate to have our tennis facility named in honor of Millie West,” head women’s tennis coach Meredith Geiger-Walton said. “She has built the foundation of the women's tennis program and inspired every player and coach who has been a part of it. She is a legend in her own time. I am honored to educate every player who walks through the facility about the most influential and remarkable woman I have ever met. I look forward to carrying on the tradition that Millie West instilled in the women's tennis program - a tradition of winning with character, class, and competitiveness.”

West was the head coach of the Tribe women’s tennis program, leading the program to a third-place finish in the AIAW Small College National Championships in 1979. A highly successful fundraiser, West was a key in the success of the four BASF Wightman Cup tennis tournaments held at the College, as well as the annual Plumeri Pro-Am golf tournament, which has reaped great benefits for the College. West coordinated W&M’s Indoor Tennis Center Project, which brought the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center on campus.

“Our players and myself completely endorse and are proud to be a part of the Millie West Tennis Facility,” head men’s tennis coach Peter Daub said. “Millie is a person whom has proven herself to be a first-class individual with genuine integrity and enthusiasm for our program. She is a visionary for men’s tennis both now and in the future. My team and I share the respect for Millie and will always compete to the fullest as gratitude for all her efforts.”

The outdoor tennis facility opened in September of 2001 and features eight individual hard court surfaces. Each court features California Corners, a unique design that includes quarter fences that run along the sidelines to allow for uninterrupted play. There is stadium seating for approximately 500 people and a state-of-the-art lighting system to accommodate night matches.