John Callen, the former executive director of the Atlanta-based USTA Southern section and a member of four tennis halls of fame, died Sunday night at his home in Johns Creek after a long cancer battle. He was 69.
Callen became the nine-state USTA Southern’s executive director in 1989 and was the longest-serving sectional director nationally when he retired in February. Callen also was the Southern section’s chief operating officer.
“It’s hard to exaggerate John Callen’s importance to tennis in Georgia and the South and really nationwide,’' said Richard Howell, a close friend of Callan’s and the chairman of the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame. “He was diligent in growing the game of tennis. And it was impossible not to like him. He was a very kind, gentle guy and treated everybody the same whether they were high up in the tennis world or not.’'
Callen, a former Georgia Tech player and co-captain, is a member of the the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, the Alabama Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame and the Georgia Professional Tennis Hall of Fame.
“John Callen was a driving force behind the success of the Southern Tennis Association for the past 33 years, yet he typically credited volunteers and staff for accomplishments,’' USTA Southern president and CEO Randy Jackson said. “Not only was John a great leader, he was a teacher, role model, friend and mentor to tennis leaders and supporters everywhere. His influence extends much further than the Southern Section.”
Callen grew up in Birmingham and played four seasons at Georgia Tech in the early 1970s, playing as high as No. 1 singles and serving as a co-captain. Callen worked as a teaching professional in Georgia for 15 years at Big Canoe, Indian Hills Country Club and the Standard Club.
Callen became president of the Georgia Tennis Association in 1982 and was a founder of the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, the Georgia Tennis Patrons Foundation and the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) Foundation.
During Callen’s 33-year tenure with USTA Southern, the section’s membership topped 150,000, accounting for nearly a quarter of the USTA members nationwide.
The Southern Tennis Foundation, the charitable arm of USTA Southern, established the John Callen Scholarship to provide financial assistance to promising junior players. The Georgia Professional Tennis Association and the Racquet Sports Industry each established awards in Callen’s honor this year - GPTA’s John Callen Service Award and the RSI’s John Callen Lifetime Achievement Award. Callen was the first recipient of the latter.
Callen continued to play tennis almost his entire life and won many senior championships and held No. 1 Southern rankings several years. He won three doubles titles at the Atlanta Senior Invitational, which attracts more national champions than any other senior event in the country. The most recent win came in 2019.
The USTA Southern section confirmed Callen’s death Monday morning. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Callen is survived by his wife, Frances; daughters Ashley, Melanie and Courtney; and three grandchildren.
