Marilyn and Edward Fernberger are thought of often as the “dynamic duo” to the world of tennis. With a shared love for the game, the Fernbergers became involved with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) through the local Philadelphia district and Middle States section. Together, Marilyn and Edward have conducted and promoted numerous youth and adult tournaments. They were the keystones in transforming an amateur men’s tennis tournament, an eight-men draw held at St. Joseph’s College’s field house, into a major men’s professional tennis event known as the U.S. Pro Indoor. During Marilyn tenure (1967-1991) co-chairing the tournament, attendance increased from 2,500 to more than 95,000, and players representing more than 20 countries vied for a $1 million purse.
Marilyn is a consultant, author, journalist, tennis organizer and fundraiser. Her enthusiasm and dedication for the sport of tennis has earned her an induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 2002. She has received awards such as: Coren Award for community service; Kelly Award for humanitarian service; Marlboro Award for service to international tennis; Chairman’s Award of International Tennis Hall of Fame; Mayor’s Award’s from: W. Wilson Goode, Frank Rizzo, William Greene and Ed Rendell. Marilyn is a graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls and received her B.A. in English and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Edward Fernberger loves tennis. Tennis is the game he has played and personally promoted for years, making the sport available to diverse populations through several nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Edward retired from the Roger Construction Company/The Mallard in 1994. An avid photographer, he applied he hobby to the tennis world. He published countless photographs in World Tennis Magazine and a dozen other international publications. He donated his collection of more than 100,000 photographs to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Edward is a graduate of Germantown Friends School and received his B.A in Arts and Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania. The Fernberger’s have made a difference in the sport of tennis, and more importantly, in many peoples lives.
