First African American Varsity Tennis Player

Rodney Harmon was UT’s first African American varsity tennis player in 1980. In his single season at UT, he and Mel Purcell won UT’s first NCAA doubles national title.

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Title First African American Varsity Tennis Player
  • Author
  • Keywords First African American Varsity Tennis Player
  • Website Name Volopedia
  • Publisher University of Tennessee Libraries
  • URL
  • Access Date January 20, 2026
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 7, 2018