2003 – Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan
Tennis professional Mary McLean Wilson was born and educated in Ft. Worth, Texas. In 1967 she received her physical education degree from Trinity University in San Antonio and went on to an illustrious career as a coach and player. She served as head tennis coach at King High School in Corpus Christi, winning state championship titles. In 1971 she was named Coach of the Year by the Corpus Christi Tennis Association. Mary taught tennis professionally for several years and in 1990 met her future husband, Ralph C. Wilson, an equally superb athlete and now owner of the Buffalo Bills, on the tennis courts. Both compete internationally— Mary in USTA National Age Division Tournaments. She was a member of the 2002 Maureen Connolly Cup, an international team competition, and an alternate for 2003. Her current U.S. national ranking is #4 and her international ranking is #7 in 55 singles. Mary is as active off court as on. She is a winner of the 2001 Betty Gray Washington Sportsmanship Award (Houston) and the 2002 Burt Flickinger Community Service Award for Unselfish Devotion to the Community from the Food Bank of Western New York. In 2002, Hospice of Western New York honored her with their Hope Care and Dignity Award and she and Ralph were jointly honored by the SPCA with the Humane Citizen of the Year Award. Mary currently serves as Trustee of the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, is the President of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association, and a board member of the United States Tennis Association National Tennis and Education Foundation.
