Considered one the best women tennis players of all time, “Little Miss Poker Face” began her remarkable career at the Berkeley Tennis Club. From her initial victories there, Helen Wills Roark moved swiftly to international renown, beginning at age 17 on the courts of Forest Hills. Included in her 16 years of conquests are eight Wimbledon and seven U.S. singles titles, 18 Wightman Cup matches, and dozens of other trophies. The first female to receive an athletic letter at the University of California at Berkeley, Roark was eminently responsible for revolutionizing the all-around power game for women.

Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

Plaque location: University of California, Berkeley