WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary Athletics Department mourns the passing of former Tribe men's tennis great Bernard "Tut" Bartzen '48. Bartzen, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 91, led the Tribe to back-to-back national championships in 1947 and 1948 as part of a storied career in the tennis community.
 
"The William & Mary tennis community was saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary Bernard 'Tut' Bartzen," W&M head coach Jeff Kader '05 said. "What an incredibly storied career in all aspects of the tennis game.  He was a champion at every level of the sport, including bringing back-to-back national championships home to William & Mary.  He truly loved the game and even came back to Williamsburg and hit with alumni and members of the team well into his 80's!  Tut helped lay the foundation for excellence for William & Mary men's tennis that we continue to strive for today.  Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends."
 
In 1948, Bartzen teamed with Fred Kovaleski to win the national doubles championship, and lead the Tribe to its second-straight team national title. A fixture in the Green and Gold line-up and part of arguably the greatest team in collegiate tennis history, Bartzen won 50 consecutive singles matches at W&M as the program won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1947 and 1948.
 
"Tut was very revered by his teammates as the number one singles player on those championship teams," W&M's Director of Special Projects Millie West, who has been an integral part of Tribe Athletics for more than 50 years, said. "He left a lasting legacy at W&M having been a key player on back-to-back national champions. He was a friend to all, and he and his wife were a devoted team at TCU. Tut was also instrumental in fundraising so that W&M could have a full-time coach."
 
Bartzen enjoyed an exceptional career on the professional circuit. He was ranked in the United State Tennis Association's top-10 from 1953 to 1961, including twice being rated No. 2. He won four U.S. Clay Court Championships and the Canadian National title in 1954. Bartzen competed in three of the four Grand Slam events, playing in the French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open. He became a co-captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, where he was a perfect 15-0 in singles play.
 
Bartzen was inducted in the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame in 1970 and added Hall of Fame credentials with both the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in 1985 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
 
He spent 12 years as the head pro at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, before becoming the head coach at TCU. Bartzen won more than 500 matches during his tenure with the Horned Frogs from 1974 to 1998. His program was one of the most successful in the country, reaching the NCAA Semifinals in both 1989 and 1996. TCU reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions during Bartzen's career, and he was named the ITCA National Coach of the Year in 1982.
 
The Varsity Tennis Courts were named in his honored by TCU in December of 1995. Bartzen also received the Rolex Meritorious Service Award from the ITA in 1998.
 
Tut and his wife, Sara, who passed away in 2000, had four children, and eight grandchildren.
 
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home (702 8th Avenue Fort Worth, TX 76104) and the service will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17 at Saint Andrews Catholic Church (3312 Dryden Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76109).