Julian Illingworth and Latasha Khan.

US Squash inducted Julian Illingworth and Latasha Khan into the United States Squash Hall of Fame at a special luncheon before the finals of the 2024 Comcast Business U.S. Open Squash Championships Saturday, October 26, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

Illingworth won the National Singles nine times, reached world No. 24 and earned three medals at the Pan American Games. Khan won the National Singles seven times, reached world No.18 and earned three medals at the Pan American Games.

Sandy Tierney, the chair of the board of US Squash, welcomed a large crowd of friends, fans and family to the gala luncheon at the Ganek Family Champions Deck at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. William Louis-Marie, the CEO of World Squash, spoke about how US Squash, founded in 1904, was the oldest of all the national federations that make up World Squash.

Kevin Klipstein, the president and CEO of US Squash, gave the keynote address at the luncheon. He acknowledged the members of the US Squash board in attendance: Carey Anderson, Will Carlin, Chris Gordon, Todd Harrity, Nick LePore and Kara Kardon. He talked about the present status of squash in America and how respecting and revering the past is integral to its future. He spoke about the unprecedented achievements of Illingworth and Khan. “It was all the more remarkable,” he said, “because they reached greatness in an era where they didn’t have the same support system in place today.”

After a delicious meal, the chair of the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame committee, James Zug, spoke. He acknowledged the many squash luminaries from around the world at the luncheon, including LePore who was one of the founders of the Hall of Fame in 2000. Five U.S. Squash Hall of Famers were at the luncheon: Joyce Davenport (inducted in the class of 2011), Ned Edwards (2003), Anil Nayar, (2018), John Nimick (2006) and Michael Pierce (2015).

Everyone stood for a moment of silence in honor of those four members of the Hall of Fame who had died since the last induction in April 2022: Len Bernheimer (inducted in 2012), Jack Herrick (2011), Sam Howe (2002) and Ann Wetzel (2003). “These beloved leaders, coaches, mentors and champions,” Zug said, “are friends who are deeply missed.”

Zug spoke about the historical significance of Illingworth and Khan’s career. He talked about how the West had developed independently from the East for much of the twentieth century and that a merger of sorts started in the 1970, highlighted by Portland, OR hosting the 1979 National Singles. “That was the first national championship hosted west of the Mississippi River,” he said. “Today is the end of a forty-five year journey that started at that tournament. US Squash truly has become a national organization. Latasha and Julian are the first American-born players who didn’t grow up in the East Coast to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

Celebratory videos were screened as introductions to both inductees. Speaking about Khan were Paul Assaiante, Will Carlin, Linda Elriani, Azam Khan, Shabana Khan, Laura Massaro, Madeline Perry, Suzie Pierrepont and Alison Waters. Speaking about Illingworth were Assaiante, Chris Gordon, Gilly Lane, Mark Lewis, Brian Mathias, Josh Schwartz, Chris Walker and Gareth Webber.

After her enshrinement, Khan thanked her family for their support: Yusuf Khan, her father and famous coach in Seattle; her sister and fellow national champion Shabana Khan; her brother and former Team USA member Azam Khan; and her sister Shanaz MacGregor. She thanked all her friends and rivals on the world tour. “Do whatever makes you happy,” she said.

After his enshrinement, Illingworth thanked his family, including his father who introduced him to squash and his mother who flew with him to junior tournaments. He thanked his coaches, including Khalid Mir in Portland and Gareth Webber and Dave Talbott at Yale. “I had a great support system and felt loved,” he said. “I liked games where I can figure things out, mastering the craft. Squash was about being able to live in the moment, to play with emotion and passion. I was lucky to have mentors who believed I was special, who believed in my potential, who allowed me to make mistakes.”

The U.S. Squash Hall of Fame was founded in 2000 at a gala dinner at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia during the World Squash Doubles Championships. In 2021 it was relocated from Yale University to the Peggy & Leo Pierce U.S. Squash Hall of Fame at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. With the additions of the Julian Illingworth and Latasha Khan, there are now seventy-one members of the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame.

Pictures from the ceremony are available on the US Squash Smugmug page. A recording of the ceremony and tribute videos will be available in the coming weeks.