The death of Charley Brinton reminded me of a conversation I had last winter with Hal Baker.

Harvard class of 1942 and still a full-time working lawyer, Hal had lent me some files, and I went to his office in Manhattan to return them. We got to talking about old tournaments, and he described how he used to come home for the Christmas holidays.

By day he would play in the annual intercollegiate tournament held at the University Club and by night he went out to black-tie debutante parties and balls that were the social fare at the time for many an undergraduate.

After being out all night, Hal would come in to the club, play a match and then, with George Cumming’s permission, take a long nap in the training room off to the side of the pro shop. This routine worked well and Hal ran through the draw of the 1942 tournament. In the semis he managed to outlast the great Charley Brinton. This was a huge victory, beating the national champion. But the toll of the social and squash whirlwind caught up and Hal lost in the finals.