Henri Salaun
Encyclopedia
Henri Raoul Marie Salaun (born 1926, in Brest
, France
) is a French-born American
hardball squash
player (his paternal grandfather was the French admiral Henri Salaun
). He played high school squash at Deerfield Academy before playing college squash at Wesleyan University
. He won the United States Squash Racquets Association (USSRA)
national championships four times (1955, 1957, 1958 and 1961), and finished runner-up on five further occasions. He also won the inaugural US Open
in 1954, beating the legendary player Hashim Khan
in the final.
Salaun made his final appearance at the US national championships in 1966 when, just months shy of his 40th birthday, he reached the semi-finals. Since retiring from the top-level game, he has continued to play in veteran's events, winning numerous veterans titles.
Salaun was inducted into the USSRA Hall of Fame in 2000. He was inducted into Wesleyan University's Hall of Fame in the spring of 2008. Salaun graduated from Wesleyan in 1949.
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is a French-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hardball squash
Hardball squash
Hardball squash is a format of the indoor racquet sport squash which was first developed in North America in the late 19h century and early 20th century. It is sometimes referred to as being the "American version" of the sport...
player (his paternal grandfather was the French admiral Henri Salaun
Henri Salaun (admiral)
Vice admiral Henri Salaun was an admiral in the French Navy. From 1 February 1920 to 1 February 1921, and again from 22 July 1924 to 31 December 1927, he was Chief of Staff of the French Navy...
). He played high school squash at Deerfield Academy before playing college squash at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. He won the United States Squash Racquets Association (USSRA)
U.S. Squash
U.S. Squash is the national governing body for the sport of squash in the United States. U.S. Squash was previously known as the United States Squash Racquets Association . The organization is headquartered in New York City and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. U.S. Squash owns and...
national championships four times (1955, 1957, 1958 and 1961), and finished runner-up on five further occasions. He also won the inaugural US Open
United States Open (squash)
The United States Open squash championships is an annual squash tournament sponsored by U.S. Squash. The championship was inaugurated in 1954 as an opportunity for professionals and amateurs to compete against each other...
in 1954, beating the legendary player Hashim Khan
Hashim Khan
Hashim Khan is a former squash player from Pakistan. He won the British Open seven times between 1951 and 1958.Hashim Khan was born in Nawakille , a small village near Peshawar, in British India to an ethnic Pashtun family. The year of his birth is usually reported as 1916, though this has been...
in the final.
Salaun made his final appearance at the US national championships in 1966 when, just months shy of his 40th birthday, he reached the semi-finals. Since retiring from the top-level game, he has continued to play in veteran's events, winning numerous veterans titles.
Salaun was inducted into the USSRA Hall of Fame in 2000. He was inducted into Wesleyan University's Hall of Fame in the spring of 2008. Salaun graduated from Wesleyan in 1949.