Bill Shaughnessy was literally the architect of Utica's successful tennis program for more than 50 years through the late 1990s. From organizing tournaments for every level of ability, putting up the nets or sweeping the courts, contacting the entrants and enticing them to play, keeping score, presenting the trophies, reporting the results, and even designing three local tennis facilities, he left an indelible fingerprint on all aspects of Utica tennis.

Fondly known as "Mr. Tennis," Shaughnessy was born in Utica in 1918. He attended Kemble School and Utica Free Academy. He played tennis and football at Cornell University, and graduated in 1942 with a degree in architecture. He served four years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After returning home, he was employed as an architect, including 22 years with the City of Utica Engineering Department, until his retirement in 1996.

He won four city tennis championships, his first at age 17 in 1935. He organized the Utica Tennis Association to foster local participation and was a member of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (now the USTA) and the Eastern Umpires Association. He was well known in state tennis circles as a tournament linesman and umpire, occasionally getting the call to officiate at the U.S. Open. His hobby was reflected in his habitual attire - rumpled white pants, a white shirt and a well-worn, sweat-streaked white hat.

For many years, he covered the local tennis scene while serving as a columnist for the Utica Observer-Dispatch. The Eastern Tennis Association named him its Northern District Volunteer of the Year in 1989, an award he modestly refused to acknowledge.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Bill organized and promoted a series of tennis tournaments that brought many talented young amateurs and touring pros to the Mott Tennis Courts for state and regional events. Two memorable players during the late 1970s and 1980s, Rome native Sheila McInerney and Buffalo's Jimmy Arias, honed their skills in junior tournaments under Shaughnessy's aegis, such as the Len Wilbur Memorial, before eventually making the jump to pro tennis. Shaughnessy helped fund McInerney's schooling in Florida.

In 1976, Bill designed the Parkway clubhouse, which became the headquarters for his tennis campaign: He was also the architect of the Utica YMCA and the Brookside Athletic Center in New Hartford, his focus for junior tournaments in the fall and winter months. He died in 200 I at age 83.