John Curry (OK 1967) died October 19, 2024
John served as Chairman of the All England Club between 1989 and 1999, leading it through a significant period of progress and success.
John Arthur Hugh Curry was born in 1938 and spent his first 10 years in Burma and India before attending King’s as a boarder. He first visited the All England Club as an 11-year-old, when he took part in a coaching session with Australian player Dinny Pails for the BBC’s Children’s Hour programme. A few years later, after becoming Head Boy, he played truant from school on a Friday afternoon in 1956 to watch the gentlemen’s singles final between the Australian players Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall (Hoad won in four sets).
As a player, his achievements included winning the Public Schools Singles Championship and reaching the semi-finals in both doubles events and the quarter-finals of the singles at the Junior Championships of Great Britain (Junior Wimbledon), held at the All England Club.
John read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at St. Edmund Hall College, Oxford, while captaining the tennis team and receiving a Blue in rugby. He then went to Harvard, where he was awarded an MBA with high distinction. He qualified as a chartered accountant and spent most of his business career in electronics.
Curry was offered temporary membership of the All England Club only so he would be allowed into the grounds when he brought the visiting Harvard and Yale Prentice Cup team to practice at the Club, while he was captain of Oxford. He became a Full Member in 1971 and joined the Committee in 1979 before succeeding Buzzer Hadingham as Chairman 10 years later.
During his decade as Chairman, Curry worked closely with his Chief Executive, Chris Gorringe, who he respected enormously. He oversaw a crucial period of development for the Club and The Championships, the most obvious of which was the Long Term Plan, unveiled in 1993 and the most ambitious improvement programme undertaken by the Club since the move to Church Road in 1922. The Plan, which saw the new No.1 Court opening in 1997 and ultimately the new No.2 Court in 2009, consolidated Wimbledon’s position as the world’s premier tennis tournament.
Curry was made a CBE in the 1997 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.