News flies fast. We—seventy-odd squash guys—were out in Santa Fe for a squash weekend when we heard that Betty Constable had died.
It is hard to think of a more remote squash haven in the U.S. than Santa Fe: deep in the Southwest (you can spot the Rio Grande above town), hardly any direct flights to Albuquerque (a lot of pre-dawn flights from the East and a lot of red-eyes coming home) and then the hour drive north. But once you arrive on East Alameda Street and stroll past the McCune Foundation, you come to the home of one of the country’s endearing squash hotbeds: the Kiva Club.
A kiva is a room used by many pueblo peoples, both ancient and modern, for spiritual ceremonies. In other words, it is a church, and since 1959 the Kiva Club has been ministering to the needs of New Mexico’s squashers. The club has one of each: hardball, softball and doubles (there are twenty-two squash courts of various vintages in the state). Charlie Khan, scion of the famed dynasty, is the pro. The club is most known for its early December veterans doubles tournament, the Kiva Classic. Started in 1990, it is known for its delicious food (courtesy of expert caterer and club member Walter Burke), art gallery settings and very witty tee-shirts. Bones Jones, the good doctor, gave me one to wear for our doubles matches—those aren’t chili peppers there.
During the weekend, we heard that Betty had died. Betty was the greatest leftie woman in the history of U.S. squash. She retired at the top of her game in 1959 after winning her fourth straight title and fifth overall.
Betty lost twice in the finals. Once to Jane Austin Stauffer in 1951, 15-12 in the fifth and once, in a let-filled ordeal, to her sister Peggy in three games in 1953 (the only other time siblings have faced each other in the finals of a national singles tournament was in 1972 when another defending champion, Nina Moyer, beat another future Hall of Fame sister, Gretchen Spruance in another three-gamer).
SquashTalk’s obit had a couple of errors (Gig Griggs donated the Howe Cup, not Betty’s mother; Princeton’s record win streak was forty-three in a row not forty [remember when Trinity’s streak was at forty-three? It was in the previous millennium]) but it did capture Betty’s great legacy as the women’s coach at Princeton.
The Times obit referenced a Time magazine piece about the House of Howe, which has the famous quote about Constable: “She’s like a bulldog.”
In Santa Fe when we toasted Betty, we remembered that competitive spirit. Bulldog, tiger. She wanted to win.