Death of Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman

Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss Wightman died on December 5, 1974, at her home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, at the age of 87, just two weeks before what would have been her 88th birthday.

Her death marked the end of an era for American tennis, closing the life of a woman whose playing career had begun in the early 1900s and whose influence had spanned nearly the entire twentieth century of the sport's development. At the time of her passing, she had accumulated more than forty U.S. national and international championship titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competition, along with two Olympic gold medals won at the 1924 Paris Games.

Beyond her playing accomplishments, Wightman left behind the enduring legacy of the Wightman Cup, the international women's team competition she founded in 1923, which continued for decades as one of the sport's most prestigious team events. She was also remembered as a devoted coach and mentor who worked with generations of young players in the Boston area, including future champions, well into her eighties.

Tributes following her death celebrated her as 'the Queen Mother of American Tennis,' recognizing both her historic playing dominance and her decades of selfless contribution to nurturing the sport's next generations. Her legacy continued through the Wightman Cup competition, her induction into multiple halls of fame, and the countless players she personally mentored and inspired throughout her long life.