Veteran tennis volunteeer retires
By Jesse Phelps

The directors of the Ojai Valley Tennis Club, the organizing body behind the Ojai Tennis Tournament, announced the retirement this year of Ruby Morrison, who served in many volunteer capacities, including the presidency of the club, over the past 63 years.

The club held a special volunteer party at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club last Wednesday at which Morrison was honored for her contributions. She was named Director Emeritus by the board of directors and Mayor Joe DeVito presented a proclamation in her honor.

Morrison worked her first Ojai tournament in 1939, when she lived in Ventura and volunteered to call lines. Later, she worked as a teacher at Nordhoff and when she and husband Jack moved to Ojai permanently, both continued their involvement in the tournament.

Morrison says her involvement has always been a "team effort" with Jack, who started out by working the gate. Eventually the pair took over publicity for the tournament. She recalls taking posters and pre-sale tickets to neighboring communities. The Morrisons became chairpersons of the tennis dance, which today has morphed into a barbeque.

Jack became president in 1968 and Ruby became transportation chair at that time. She moved into the position of club secretary some years later. When Jack stepped down as president after 10 terms, Ruby kept on as secretary through the next two presidents before assuming the presidency herself in 1983. During her tenure, Jack served as club secretary and Ruby served as board liaison with the Tea Tent Committee.

After six terms as president, Ruby joined the board as a director and served 14 years in that capacity, while continuing her work with the tea tent. In recent years, the Morrisons have spent afternoons at the tournament in the tea tent, where they have served as hospitality ambassadors.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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