Newport, R.I. – The International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted one of William and Mary’s favorite sons, the late Mark McCormack (Class of 1951), among its inductees for the Class of 2008 on July 12. Along with McCormack, the induction Class of 2008 was represented by Michael Chang, one of only three American men to capture the French Open singles title in the last 53 years, and Eugene L. Scott, the founder and publisher of the national tennis magazine, Tennis Week. The official Induction Ceremony was held on Bill Talbert Center Court at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.
The presenting contributor for McCormack’s induction was nine-time Grand Slam singles champion Monica Seles. In addition to being a sports client of IMG, Seles was a longtime personal friend of McCormack and his wife, Betsy Nagelsen. Including the Class of 2008, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has 207 individuals inducted, representing 18 countries.
McCormack was a four-year member of the varsity golf team during his time at William and Mary and later was a successful player on the national tours, qualifying for the U.S. Open and several U.S. and British Amateur events. McCormack was inducted in the W&M Hall of Fame in 1969 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006. McCormack’s honors from the College included a Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1997, the College’s School of Business Medallion in 2000 and the Alumni Medallion in 1981.
An avid supporter of William and Mary athletics, McCormack donated millions of dollars over the years. In 1994, he and his wife, Betsy Nagelsen, funded the construction of the College’s indoor tennis facility, the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. The state-of-the-art facility houses the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Hall of Fame, in addition to serving as the home of William and Mary’s nationally renowned tennis programs. McCormack endowed scholarships for women’s tennis and for the French department, in honor of his favorite professor Marcel Reboussin. Along with his generosity, McCormack also served as a member of the College’s Board of. In 1993, he also chaired the College’s successful fund-raising campaign, which raised $153 million.
After graduating from W&M with a degree in French in 1951, McCormack made his legacy as the Founder, Chairman and CEO of International Management Group, Inc. – IMG, the largest sports agency firm in the world. In 1990, Sports Illustrated magazine named McCormack “the most powerful man in sports”. In 1999, ESPN’s Sports Century series chose him as one of the “10 Most Influential People in the Business of Sport.” Business Age magazine in 1994 said, “McCormack invented the sports business.”
McCormack passed in May of 2003, and, at the time, then W&M President Timothy J. Sullivan said, “Mark McCormack was truly an honored son of the College. Few individuals in the course of their lifetime have the chance to see and feel and know the influence they have had on the quality and character of an institution. Mark’s influence on William and Mary can be seen not only in the physical buildings he made possible by his generosity, but in the highest level of excellence he expected from his alma mater, and from those of us fortunate enough to call him friend.”