PETER LAMB
MEN’S TENNIS
Peter Lamb’s exceptional ability on the tennis court landed him considerable public attention during his four-year Vanderbilt career. A native of South Africa, Lamb distinguished himself upon his admittance to Vanderbilt when he became the first tennis player ever to be offered a full athletic scholarship to the school. As a sophomore Lamb became the first nonwhite player ever to represent South Africa in international Davis Cup play. As a member of the team he competed against the United States in the 1978 North and Central America Zone Final, a match held in Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium. Lamb’s selection was viewed critically by protesters who called for the United States to refuse to play the South African team in response to the country’s segregation system of Apartheid. His play would help him rise above the controversial international match and go on to make a name for himself with considerable success on the collegiate stage.
- Represented South Africa in 1975 Junior Wimbledon
- First tennis player to be offered a full athletic scholarship to Vanderbilt
- Two-time SEC Outdoor Singles Champion, in 1978 and 1979
- Three-time All-SEC honors, 1978-1980
- Along with teammates Tim Stewart and Chip Tolleson, was a part of the first trio of Vanderbilt tennis players to earn All-SEC accolades in the same season in 1978
- Alternate member of 1978 South African Davis Cup team
- Majored in business administration at Vanderbilt; earned M.B.A. from Harvard Business School
- Played six years on the professional tennis tour