Joe Alston

Joseph Cameron Alston (December 20, 1926 – April 16, 2008) was an American badminton player who won major titles between 1951 and 1967.

Career Despite a career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation which sometimes interfered with his avocation, Alston is the only male player to win each of the sport's three basic events, singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, at both the U.S. National Badminton Championships (closed to foreign competition) and the U.S. Open Badminton Championships (open to foreign competition). He and long-time partner Wynn Rogers were ranked number one nationally in men's doubles for fourteen consecutive years (1951–1964). In 1957, Alston won the Men's Doubles at the prestigious All-England Championships with Malaya's Johnny Heah and remains the only American to share this title. Noted for his speed and crisp shotmaking, Alston was a member of seven consecutive U.S. Thomas Cup (Men's International) teams between 1952 and 1970 and played in four inter-zone Thomas Cup campaigns. He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on March 7, 1955. His wife, the former Lois Smedley, was an outstanding badminton competitor in her own right and played on the world champion U.S. Uber Cup (Women's International) team of 1957. Both are members of the U.S. Badminton Hall of Fame, now called the Walk of Fame. One of their sons, Tony Alston, was a leading U.S. player in the 1980s.

Achievements International tournaments (8 titles, 11 runners-up) Men's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result 1954 U.S. Open Eddy Choong 5–15, 15–2, 13–15 Runner-up 1955 U.S. Open Eddy Choong 15–5, 15–8 Winner 1956 U.S. Open Finn Kobberø 11–15, 8–15 Runner-up

Men's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1955 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Eddy Choong T. Darryl Thompson 15–6, 12–15, 15–8 Winner 1957 All England Open Heah Hock Aun David Choong Eddy Choong15–10, 16–17, 15–5 Winner 1959 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Lim Say Hup Teh Kew San 5–15, 3–15 Runner-up 1960 Mexico International Manuel Armendariz Lim Say Hup Teh Kew San 7–15, 4–15 Runner-up 1961 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Michael Hartgrove Alan Mahaffey 15–8, 15–9 Winner 1962 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Ferry Sonneville Tan Joe Hok 15–12, 7–15, 15–6 Winner 1963 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Erland Kops Robert McCoig 16–18, 2–15 Runner-up 1964 U.S. Open Wynn Rogers Michael Hartgrove Jim Poole 15–2, 12–15, 15–10 Winner 1967 U.S. Open Erland Kops Suresh Goel Jim Sydie 15–4, 15–4 Winner

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1954 U.S. Open Lois Alston Wynn Rogers Loma Smith 15–10, 15–10 Winner 1955 U.S. Open Lois Alston Wynn Rogers Dorothy Hann 15–8, 11–15, 9–15 Runner-up 1959 U.S. Open Lois Alston Michael Roche Judy Devlin 9–15, 15–10, 15–17 Runner-up 1961 U.S. Open Lois Alston Wynn Rogers Judy Hashman 13–18, 2–15 Runner-up 1962 U.S. Open Helen Tibbetts Wynn Rogers Judy Hashman 4–15, 7–15 Runner-up 1963 U.S. Open Lois Alston Sangob Rattanusorn Margaret Barrand 16–18, 15–4, 12–15 Runner-up 1964 U.S. Open Lois Alston Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Margaret Barrand walkover Runner-up

Summary Tournament Event and year US Open Men's Singles (1955), Men's Doubles (1955, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967), Mixed Doubles (1954) US Championships Men's Singles (1951), Men's Doubles (1951, 1952, 1953) Mixed Doubles (1953) All-Englands Men's Doubles (1957) World Invitational Men's Singles (1956)