Rosemary Gullikson

Before establishing himself in the world of professional tennis, Tim Gullikson played tennis at NIU from 1969 to 1973 and qualified for the NCAA Championships for three straight years. Tim was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.Tim’s professional tennis career began in 1977 with three singles titles and accolades as the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)Newcomer of the Year. Two years later, he toppled John McEnroe at Wimbledon. Then, in 1983, Tim partnered with his brother Tom in the doubles finals at Wimbledon, losing the title to John McEnroe and Peter Fleming. Tim reached a career-best ranking of 18th (1978) and in total won 4 singles and 16 doubles titles.The Gullikson brothers were ranked in the U.S. top 10 for four consecutive years (1982-85), finishing No.4 in 1982 and 1983, and climbing to No. 3 in 1985. Tim retired as a player in 1986 and became a highly regarded coach for leading tennis players, including Aaron Krickstein, Mary Joe Fernandez, and Martina Navratilova. His most notable coaching success was with Pete Sampras, regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, whom Tim coached to the No.1 world ranking in 1993.In 1995 Tim was diagnosed with brain tumors. In battling his cancer, Tim and his family recognized a critical need for helping brain tumor patients and their families in managing the physic at emotional and social challenges of the illness. In order to fulfill that need, Tim and Tom Gullikson, along with their families, founded the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation (TTGF) in 1995. A year later, Tim lost his battle with brain cancer, but his vision for the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation flourished. With support from the tennis community, business leaders, and concerned individuals, TTGF raised more than $6 million over the years to advocate for cancer patients and their caregivers. In 2008, the TTGF transferred its remaining funds to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to establish the Tim & Tom Gullikson Family Support Fund, which funds college scholarships for children affected by brain tumors.