Biography
James Henry Van Alen was born 19 September 1902 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, United States to James Laurens Van Alen (1878-1927) and Margaret Louise Post (1876-1969) and died 3 July 1991 Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, United States of unspecified causes. He married Eleanor Ruth Langley (1907-1983) 5 May 1930 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. He married Candace Baird Alig (1912-2002) 1948 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, United States.
He is best known for being the founder of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the largest tennis museum in the world. A poet, musician, publisher, civic leader and raconteur, Jimmy Van Alen achieved his greatest renown in tennis. His greatest legacies are as the inventor of the tiebreak in tennis, and as founder and primary benefactor of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum at the Newport Casino, which he gave to the United States Tennis Association in 1954, saving the national landmark from a proposed car park.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| James Langley Van Alen (1931-2008) | |||
| Samuel Trumbull Van Alen (1933-1970) | |||
Footnotes (including sources)
| ‡ General |
|
| ₪ Wedding |
|