Tod Hunt '40 and friends
At the dedication of the Torrence Hunt Tennis Center, October 1995:
Boys' head coach Ned Gallagher, Torrence M. Hunt Sr. '40, and boys' captain Nathaniel B. Bryan '96.

Tennis Facilities At Choate

     In October 1995, Choate Rosemary Hall dedicated the Torrence Hunt Tennis Center, the realization of a vision by Torrence M. "Tod" Hunt Sr., a graduate of the Class of 1940, a parent and grandparent of Choate students, as well as a long-time trustee of the school. Mr. Hunt--a former captain of the varsity squad and a member of the school's Athletics Hall of Fame--was committed to providing the school with, in his words, a "world class" facility as a symbol of the excellence Choate Tennis has long embodied. (He also has been involved with a similar project at his other alma mater, Williams College--another institution with an impressive legacy in the sport.)

The front of the Hunt Tennis Center.     The initial stage of the Hunt Tennis Center's development in 1995 entailed six brand new showcase courts adjoining a spacious clubhouse. The building itself boasts a large central room for team functions, locker room facilities for both boys and girls, a kitchen, a state-of-the-art video system, trophy cases, a stringing machine, equipment storage, and office space for coaches. The walls of the clubhouse feature Choate Tennis memorabilia, including plaques listing each of the male and female captains of the Choate, Rosemary Hall, and CRH tennis teams since the early twentieth century, as well as pictures of the school's national champions and distinguished teams. On the occasion of the Center's dedication, Mr. Hunt also endowed a new award to be given to one boy and one girl on the school's varsity teams each spring to recognize "Character, Sportsmanship, Spirit, and Improvement" in the sport. The unique crystal tennis sculpture created as the permanent trophy for the Hunt Award is prominently displayed in the Center's illuminated trophy case.

A variety of seating options are available for spectators overlooking the show courts at the Hunt Tennis Center.     Happily for the Choate program, Mr. Hunt stayed very involved with the school and its tennis venue after the Center's opening. In addition to his initial gift, Mr. Hunt's vision and generosity facilitated three upgrades to the complex since 1995. The creation of eight new courts in the fall of 1998 served to embellish the beauty and functionality of the Center, bringing all of the fourteen courts there up to championship standard. And in the spring of 2000 and again in the winter of 2001, the school completed the addition of stadium seating overlooking the Hunt Center's show courts as well as additional landscaping around the grounds. The new facilities for spectators make the Hunt Tennis Center a perfect site for large tournaments. There also are plans to create additional outdoor match courts adjoining the Center within the next few years.

     To supplement the Hunt Tennis Center, the Rosenthal Tennis Courts provide an inclement weather alternative in the Johnson Athletic Center. The three indoor courts were resurfaced in the summer of 2001.

     Quite simply, Choate's tennis facilities are unparalleled in the world of scholastic tennis.

Tod Hunt visits with players and coaches at the Hunt Tennis Center.
Tod Hunt joins the varsity teams for practice on a visit to campus (April 2000):
Girls' head coach Lee Hark, girls' co-captain Katherine Novick '00, Torrence M. Hunt Sr. '40,
girls' co-captain Alison Gusberg '00, boys' captain Stephen Fair '00, and boys' head coach Ned Gallagher.

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Last revised: February 3, 2009