Interview with Jim Baughman, March 10, 2016

Partial Transcript: Well I'm here today with Jim Baughman, a three year letterman at the University of Kentucky in tennis.

Segment Synopsis: Dennis Emery interviews Jim Baughman. Baughman explains he was recruited simply through reading an article in the student newspaper about date and time for an informational meeting. He also talks about playing tennis at home with his father and brother, fellow University of Kentucky tennis player, Henry.

Keywords: Childhood; Fathers; Henry Baughman; Lincoln County (Ky.); Recruitment; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: That's with a--so your first year you--freshman are ineligible and you play on the freshman team.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about being on the freshman tennis team at University of Kentucky in 1956. He also talks about playing on different tennis courts, including the Coliseum Courts and University High Courts.

Keywords: Clay courts; Coliseum courts; Dirt courts; Dr. Harold Downing; Freshman; Teams; Tennis; Tennis courts; University High courts; Woodland Park

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, so you were just coming to the university now, and then, the playing the tennis was just a bonus for you.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains he had always wanted to go to University of Kentucky. There was no major he was interested in or a particular interest in playing on the tennis team.

Keywords: Colleges; Majors; Reasons; UK; Wildcats

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Alright. Um, so let, let's go into a little bit more the university.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about the different courts he played on while at University of Kentucky. He also mentions that he never practiced. There were no scheduled practices because the tennis players weren't on scholarship. Dr. Downing gave them the schedules for matches and that was really the only tennis he played.

Keywords: Coliseum Courts; Facilities; Matches; Practices; Schedules; Teams; Tennis; Tennis courts; University High Courts; Varsity

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Okay, um, kind of before we go into the tennis aspects of it, tell me what your thoughts were about the university at that time.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about being in a fraternity and how cheap tuition was throughout his time at University of Kentucky. He also tells a story about the students having to go to school the Wednesday before Thanksgiving even though Eastern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, and Morehead State University were not. So the students set several fires in protest. He remembers being asked to be a campus leader and help deal with the situation.

Keywords: Campus leaders; Fires; Fraternities; Riots; Social life; Tuition

Subjects: University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Partial Transcript: So you--as you talked about your freshman year you, you played, your all's record was five and one.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains there was no official practice for anyone because no one was on sports scholarship and there was also little separation of varsity and freshman. He states Dr. Downing was more a scheduler than a coach and the lineup was just decided amongst the players.

Keywords: Coaches; Freshman; Records; Schedules; Teams; Tennis; Varsity

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Alright, um, last question regarding, sort of, facilities and that type of thing.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman says there were no indoor facilities for the tennis team. After Dr. Harold Downing left after the 1957 season, Glenn Dora took over as coach. Emery talks about Downing's great contribution to Kentucky tennis as an administrator and organizer. Baughman speaks highly of Downing's character stating he was quiet, unassuming, respectful, and very respected.

Keywords: Coaches; Dr. Harold Downing; Facilities; Glenn Dora; Teams; Tennis; Tennis courts

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, so in '56 the varsity team went two, seven, and one. You know, not, not Dr. Downing's best year.

Segment Synopsis: Emery mentions the 1956 Varsity team did not do well that year. Baughman said they could not justify the money to send the team to the SEC tournament because of the bad record. He proceeds to go through a list of tennis players that might have been on that team.

Keywords: 1956; Dr. Harold Downing; SEC tournament; Tennis; Varsity

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, now we're gonna move into '57.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about his experience playing in the SEC tournament. He says some of the stiffest competition was from Tulane University and Louisiana State University. He also explains that his team never played many SEC teams during the regular season because of distance.

Keywords: 1957; Hamilton Richardson; Records; Ronald Holmberg; SEC tournaments; Teams; Tennis; Tulane University

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.); University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Okay, so in '57 do you remember, like, who played one on that team for you all?

Segment Synopsis: Baughman lists the members of the 1957 varsity tennis team and what they played, stating they rarely changed their lineup. They played regular matches on Woodland and Coliseum Courts. 1957 was also Downing's last year as coach and Baughman doesn't recall any big send off. He believes they found out when there was a new coach waiting for them in the fall.

Keywords: 1957; Dr. Harold Downing; Lineups; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Let's talk just a second before we go into the '58 season.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman says he was a sophomore in 1957 on the varsity tennis team and he played number five. No one played for positions except in 1958 when Olaf Hagin challenged him for the number two spot. The1957 team had few grudges and played against Centre College. He describes his game style as a "pusher" who kept the ball in play longer than the other guy. He also mentions each team member was given a pair of pants, one shirt, and one racket in the whole three years.

Keywords: 1957; Game style; Matches; Teams; Tennis

Subjects: Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: M'kay. Well, let's go into 1958.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains that Glenn Dora had an interesting time as the new coach in 1958 only being a few years older than the team members, and had played many of the guys in high school. The team played more and Dora coached a little more than Downing had, but there were still no set practices.

Keywords: Coaches; Glenn Dora; Played; Teams; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now, you talked about one of your good memories was the UT match.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman recalls the University of Kentucky beating University of Tennessee in every sport including tennis. The tennis match which decided the victory for Kentucky was determined by Baughman based on an outcall he made. He also tells the story of playing an official match against Tennessee a day early at the SEC tournament. He talks about remembering Tennessee tennis player Louis Royal getting into an argument with his coach and later Royal leaving the court and going home, not even staying for the tournament.

Keywords: Cal Barwicke; Coaches; Louis Royal; Matches; Outcalls; SEC tournaments; Tennis; Winning

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Partial Transcript: Now, so when you say you went--you played them at the SEC tournament, I think you mentioned the--that that year the tournament would have been in Baton Rouge or New Orleans.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about the SEC tournaments in New Orleans, Louisiana (1957) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1958) and how Downing rented a limousine for use for the team during the tournament. He says he and Cal Barwicke played one doubles and rotated one and two singles in 1958. They only placed ninth in the SEC tournament in 1958. Emery talks about worrying about the draw in the tournament. Baughman says they didn't worry about it as players.

Keywords: Baton Rouge (La.); Cal Barwicke; Doubles; Dr. Harold Downing; Limousines; NCAA; SEC tournaments; Singles; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; New Orleans (La.); University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So now, now we come up it's '59, and it's your senior year. And did you just decide you wanted to focus on your academics?

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains he didn't play tennis his senior year in college because his time was spread thin between being president of his fraternity and trying to graduate. He doesn't think he has any regrets about that.

Keywords: Academics; Fraternities; Graduating; K Fraternity; Playing; President; Regrets; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Cause I know, uh, you know, well--now we'll go into your post-UK career. You know, where, where you've had a lot of success.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman said he majored in history because there was no comprehensive exam for graduation. He mentions not thinking about going into the ministry and instead after graduation going into the army in order to preempt the draft. He did six months active duty as a medic and then decided to go to into the ministry when he was moved to the reserves. He went to seminary in Lexington afterwards.

Keywords: Comprehensive exams; History; Majors; Medics; Ministry

Subjects: United States. Army; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So, so I essentially didn't play tennis from age 21 till 70. Till, till I was 70.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains he didn't competitively play tennis from the time he was 21 till he was 70. He started playing doubles with his brother Henry and they have yet to lose to another Kentucky team in the last 8 years.

Keywords: Doubles; Henry Baughman; Matches; Senior citizens; Tennis; Tournaments

Subjects: Sports

Partial Transcript: Now when--so you go to the seminary.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman says the first church he ministered to was in Estill County, where he stayed for three years. His second church was Middletown Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky where he stayed for 23 years until his retirement. It was the fastest growing church of the Disciples of Christ for a time.

Keywords: Christianity; Disciples of Christ; Growing; Middletown Christian Church; Ministers; Pastors

Subjects: Churches--Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Okay, so during this time you become a tennis official.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman talks about his time as a tennis official. He started by being asked to monitor a match at the Louisville Country Club Tournament by Sam English. Sam English then asked for his help officiating the National Clay Court Juniors at Seneca Park, Louisville, Kentucky. He did many matches in Louisville and some other in-state matches until his retirement where he traveled and officiated matches in 23 states, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. He had also officiated 16 US Opens and 14 NCAA finals.

Keywords: Louisville Country Club Tournament; NCAA finals; National Clay Court Juniors; Officials; Sam English; States; Tennis; US Open

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Sports

Partial Transcript: Well, I, uh, I have two kind of funny stories.

Segment Synopsis: Emery tells a story of being at a Cincinatti, Ohio match Baughman was officiating and calling Boris Becker for footfalls. Baughman explains Becker argued saying he had never been called on a footfall in his life, but Baughman says he knew that wasn't true because he had called Becker on footfalls before. Emery then tells another story about Baughman officiating a match between University of Kentucky and University of Southern California and overruling Byron Black of California. The coach Richard Leach got in Baughman's face but he stuck with the call. Baughman thinks the way overrules and questioning works in matches is a poor system.

Keywords: Adam Malik; Boris Becker; Byron Black; Foot falls; Matches; NCAA; Officials; Out balls; Overrules; Questions; Richard Leach; Rules; Serving; Tennis; University of Southern California

Subjects: College sports.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, is--you know, that's kind of where I, I have this interview.

Segment Synopsis: Baughman explains tennis at the University of Kentucky was not a big, high-pressure sport. Only three members of his freshman team moved onto varsity. He also states he had the best record all three years he played, which he attributes to his poor competition rather than his ability.

Keywords: 1950s; Low pressure; Records; Tennis

Subjects: College sports--Kentucky; University of Kentucky