A February 1945 graduate of Muskegon High School, Bill Bos was best known here as the city’s “Mr. Tennis” in the 1950s. He helped rescue the game of tennis from near-oblivion in Muskegon and made it one of the most popular forms of recreation for the youth in this area through his unique personal appeal and gifted talents as a player, teacher and administrator. After leaving Muskegon in 1956, he continued to promote and popularize the game at a national level, conducting clinics all over the USA for the Wilson Sporting Goods Company. Throughout his subsequent career, he was actively involved in nearly every facet of the game: a player, a teaching professional and a collegiate tennis coach at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He eventually settled in Texas, where he remains active as the director of tennis programs at Lakewood Country Club in Dallas.

Bill Bos 2 Besides tennis, Bos was a gifted basketball player. He was the starting center on the Muskegon Big Red cage teams of 1943-45. At Kalamazoo College he captained the school’s 1950 MIAA championship team. But tennis was Bill’s sport and when he returned to Muskegon, he coached the local high school and junior college teams, along with his duties as director of the city’s rejuvenated summer tennis program. His efforts resulted in the construction of new courts and development of young local stars. As a player, Bill won the city singles championship in 1950 and 1952. He turned professional in 1953.

After a successful five-year stint as tennis coach for the Naval Academy, Bos moved to Texas to become head pro at the Dallas Country Club. While there, he helped stage numerous big-time tennis matches, including the famous Rod Laver-Ken Rosewall match of 1972. He also continued to teach the game at every level from neighborhood youngsters to celebrities like Ted Williams and President George H.W. Bush. In 1995, he was inducted into the Texas Tennis Association Hall of Fame.