Bill Fagan Jr.
Sport: Tennis
Year Inducted: 1984
In sports jargon, Bill Fagan Jr. was what they call a late-bloomer. Bill didn’t take up tennis until he was 13 years old, after years of watching his father play on the old Howard Smith Paper Mill court. His father became his instructor.
But he didn’t waste much time in establishing firm roots in the Cornwall tennis field. Between 1948 and 1961, when he moved to Ottawa, Bill won 26 singles and doubles Championships.
In 1952, Bill won all six Championships he participated in. They included four doubles titles won with partner Angelo Brunet. Another partner was Orval Tessier, former coach of the Chicago Black Hawks.
The highlight of his successful tennis career was in 1950 when he reached a local milestone. Not only did he capture his third straight junior singles title, but also added the senior title.
Bill won the singles title five more times. In 1954, he was invited to play in the International Tournament at the Toronto Tennis Club.
The same year he reached the singles quarter-finals of the New York State Invitational at Lake Placid. After moving to Ottawa in 1959, Bill dropped out of competitive play but made a return in 1978 by winning Ottawa All-Seasons tennis doubles.
In 1982, he and partner Pat McGlaughlin were finalists in the Labatt’s Invitational at Ottawa Tennis Club. He participated with Alex Kalil in the trials with the Canadian Davis Cup team and lost in the quarter-finals to a team that included World-ranked Gardner Mulloy.