Clarence R. Budlong (1977) - Hall of Fame - Brown University Athletics

Clarence R. Budlong

Induction:
1977
Class:
1897

Clarence Rhodes Budlong '97
Hometown: Providence, RI
Sport: Tennis
Year Inducted: 1978

Clarence Rhodes Budlong ’97 was nationally known as a tennis star before he entered Brown, having captured the interscholastic singles championship of the United States at Newport in 1893 while a senior at Providence English High School. Entering Brown that fall, Budlong teamed with a sophomore, Malcolm Chace ’96, and entered the national intercollegiate doubles at New Haven. It was a fortunate pairing for both men, since Chace, like Budlong, had won the interscholastic singles title in 1892 while a senior at the University Grammar School in Providence. The formidable pair won the college championship in the doubles in 1893 and Budlong had captured his second national title in two years. In 1894 Budlong narrowly missed adding the intercollegiate singles championship to his list of achievements, being nosed out in the finals by his former partner, Malcolm Chace, who by then had transferred to Yale. Clarence Budlong was ranked among the top 10 players in the country between 1893 and 1895, was tennis champion for Brown for three years, and held the Rhode Island State championship in singles and shared it in doubles for close to 10 years. He was a member of the East Side Tennis Club for many years, including a long period when he was its president. For 25 years Mr Budlong was associated with the Union Wadding Co. of Pawtucket, RI. He died Jan. 25, 1946 of injuries received when he was struck by a taxi cab at North Main and Waterman Streets on Dec. 6. He was 71 at the time.