The West Mount Airy man leading the charge to honor locally born gay tennis legend Bill Tilden has decided to postpone submitting the application to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission until this spring.
Jon Rossman, 78, along with the help of two friends, has been attempting to gather letters of support from local elected officials, prominent members of the tennis community and the United States Tennis Association as part of his application to have a blue and gold state historical marker erected in Germantown, where the tennis star grew up.
The PHMC only makes decisions on applications in January of each year. Rossman said he decided to forgo submitting the application by the end of 2014 because of recent developments that could significantly strengthen the application. Thus, the earliest the PHMC could grant the request would be in January 2016.
“We are hoping to submit everything by April or May,” Rossman said. “We are still soliciting support from the USTA, and we hope our requests for letters of support from other tennis legends like Billie Jean King will come through.”
But, so far, absent in their support to honor the gay sports hero are local elected officials.
Rossman said he spoke with representatives of Councilwoman Cindy Bass and state Rep. Rosita Youngblood, but was not able to secure letters of support.
He wondered if they were reluctant to offer their support because of Tilden’s criminal record.
In the 1940s, Tilden was arrested twice on “morals” charges for allegedly making sexual advances to teenage boys. Though it is now widely acknowledged that any attempt by a gay man or woman to connect with another gay person in that time period could result in arrest or loss of a job.
Rossman also wrote Mayor Nutter’s office, requesting a letter of support.
“He wrote me back thanking me for my interest in Philadelphia, but said he could not write a letter of support at this time,” according to Rossman. “There wasn’t any explanation.”
Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Nutter, confirmed that the mayor declined to issue the letter because of Tilden’s arrest record.
“The decision to decline writing a letter to the state Historical Commission related to Tilden’s criminal-justice difficulties involving underage boys,” he said.
Rossman pointed out he is not on a crusade to spurn the elected officials who wouldn’t write letters, but said their support could go a long way in the application.
“I understand why they might be hesitant,” he said. “But we have honored a great many people in the past who have flaws in their character.”
Rossman has recently received support from the USTA Middle States Hall of Fame, in which Tilden is an inductee, and said he’ll approach the national branch of the USTA next.
“Things are moving along,” Rossman said, “but not exactly at jet speed.”
Tilden was born at Overleigh, the family mansion on McKean Avenue in Germantown, Feb. 10, 1893. As a teenager, he moved a few blocks away to 519 Hansberry St. to live with his aunt and cousin while he attended Germantown Academy. Tilden later went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania.
Tilden was active in the tennis world from 1912 through the 1940s and is largely considered one of the nation’s best tennis players. He was the first American to win Wimbledon, taking the title three times, and also claiming seven U.S. championships, among other accolades.
Tilden died in 1953 in Los Angeles at age 60 and was buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1959.