July 31, 1950

Charles Owens, also known as “Charlie,” was a professional tennis player born on this day in Tuscaloosa. He won the Orange Bowl Tennis Championship in 1966 in the 16 and under age division. Owens became the NCAA Division II champion in 1972 while competing for Samford University. He made it to the third round of the singles event for the U.S. Open in 1973 and 1974, and also got to the third round of Wimbledon in 1975.

Read more at the Samford Bulldog Club or Wikipedia. 

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.