Class News
Denny Lynch ’64’s widow sent news of the Dennis P. Lynch Award
September 27, 2021
Ann Marie Lynch, the surviving spouse of Denny Lynch ’64, sent news of the first recipient of the Dennis P. Lynch President’s Cup Award. Below are the following:
Ann Marie emailed:
Pictured below are our son, Dennis, Jr., and yours truly AND the awardee, the well-known Yalie, Paul Lambert ’50 and his lovely wife Mary. There was hardly a dry eye during the ceremony at the Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club, Rumson, NJ, with all present aware of the true and lasting friendship between these two outstanding gentlemen who shared so many sterling qualities. In fact, Paul was one of the speakers at Dennis’ Memorial at the Club in July. I think we're all looking for uplifting news at a time when, as you well know from personal experience, so many of us are losing those most precious to us.
Dennis P. Lynch President’s Award
Dennis P. Lynch was the embodiment of the values of Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club. A highly accomplished athlete, he exemplified the ideals of athletic excellence and sportsmanship. He is the only club member to have played in the Prentice Cup, having captained the 1964 Yale men’s tennis team and, that same year, the Harvard-Yale Prentice Cup team, which won the title. As a member, he won the Men’s singles title thirteen times and the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles titles sixteen times, with seven different partners. In 2000, the Asbury Park Press voted Dennis the second -best player in the history of Jersey Shore Tennis.
A natural leader, Dennis served for more than twenty years on the Prentice Cup Committee. He also served as President of SLT&CC from 1988 to 1994.
Beyond his extensive accomplishments, Dennis was the type of person who would applaud an opponent’s shot or who would ask you how you did when you came off the court. He was, at all times, a gentleman and will forever be remembered as a respected, generous, and dedicated member of the Club. We are proud to present this award in his honor and in his memory.
The Dennis P. Lynch President’s Award is given annually to a dedicated and distinguished member who has made significant contributions to the Club and/or to the sport of tennis or platform tennis. Each recipient exemplifies the highest ideals of sportsmanship and integrity and has honored the values and traditions of Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club.
Presentation to Paul Lambert
It is with great pleasure that I announce that the recipient of the inaugural Dennis P. Lynch President’s Award is Paul C. Lambert. Like Dennis, Paul Lambert is someone who, throughout his life, has embodied the values of this tennis club — excellence, sportsmanship, and humility.
A 1950 graduate of Yale University and both a teammate and close friend of President George H. W. Bush, Paul Lambert has brought a grace and dignity to all aspects of his personal and professional life. After Mary Lee, baseball may have been his first love, but tennis — like Mary — was his lifelong love. On the court, Paul won the men’s singles title three times and teamed up with Dennis Lynch to win the men’s doubles title nine times, in addition to teaming up with B.J. Debree to win the mixed doubles tournament twice.
Paul graduated from Harvard Law School in 1953 and practiced law with several prominent Wall Street law firms, most notably Whitman Breed, Abbott & Morgan, where he chaired their Trust & Estates department for many years. From 1990 to 1992, Paul served as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador.
Paul has been a member of this club for eighty-five years. A natural leader, Paul served on the Board for eighteen years, first as Secretary from to 1964 to 1972, then Vice President from 1972 to 1976, and finally as President from 1976 to 1982. Paul moved in many circles and was also the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Association of Yale Alumni. He was a Director of the Yale Alumni Fund, a Member of the Yale Development Board, and was active on many boards in New York, including the Chamber Music Society of New York and the Brearley School.
Beyond his extensive accomplishments, Paul is a devoted husband and a father of four — Jennifer, Chris, John and Mary — who always has time, and quite often a joke, for everyone. His self-effacing sense of humor has surprised and disarmed many dignitaries, including at least two U.S. Presidents. He is, at all times, himself — a true gentleman and, as many of you may have heard earlier this summer, a great add-court doubles player. It is with both pride and humility that we present this award to Paul C. Lambert.