Sally Young

Sarah L. Sheppard "Sally" Young (January 1905 – February 27, 1970) was an American bridge player from Philadelphia who won many important tournaments in the 1930s and 1940s. She was the first woman and 17th player to achieve the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) rank of (ACBL Life Master).

Early life and education Young was born in Pennsylvania, one of eight children born to George and Marcella Sheppard (née Stehr). Her paternal grandparents were born in Ireland, and her mother's grandparents were born in England.

Career Young began playing bridge at 15 and was self taught until Charles Goren took her under his tutelage.

With John R. Crawford, Goren, and Charles J. Solomon, Young won the Chicago Trophy (now Reisinger) championship in 1937, 1938, and 1939. (They played as a fivesome with B. Jay Becker in 1939.) In 1947 she teamed with three other women—Jane Jaeger, Kay Rhodes and Paula Ribner—and they shared the title with two other teams. (The Reisinger does not break ties. It was the first of 6 ties in 85 renditions to 2013.) It remains the only win, albeit shared, for an all-women team —the only win in North America in any major open teams competition.

Young and Helen Sobel won the annual North American women championship (now Whitehead Women's Pairs) in 1938 and again in 1939.

From 1943 to 1946, Young teamed with Emily Folline, Helen Sobel, and Margaret Wagar to win the women teams (Sternberg Women's Board-a-Match Teams, now a knockout format named for Wagar) four years in a row. They had one son, Ralph Jr.

Death She was living in Narberth, Pennsylvania at the time of her death in 1970 at Lankenau Medical Center, age 65.

Wins

North American Bridge Championships (22) Whitehead Women's Pairs (4) 1936, 1938, 1939, 1946 Hilliard Mixed Pairs (1) 1940 Open Pairs (1928-1962) (1) 1941 Wagar Women's Knockout Teams (7) 1937, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1951 Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (5) 1938, 1941, 1949, 1950, 1959 Reisinger (4) 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947

Runners-up

North American Bridge Championships (8) Hilliard Mixed Pairs (1) 1934