Rosemary Gullikson

Before establishing themselves in the world of professional tennis, Tim and Tom Gullikson played tennis at NIU from 1969 to 1973 and qualified for the NCAA Championships three straight years. Both were inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men?s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. Left-hander Tom played on the ATP Tour from 1976 to 1986 and won 16 top-level doubles titles, 10 of them as partners with his identical twin, Tim, a right-hander. Tim?s professional tennis career began in 1977 with three singles titles and accolades as the ATP Newcomer of the Year. Two years later, he toppled John McEnroe at Wimbledon.Then, in 1983, Tom and Tim partnered in the doubles finals at Wimbledon, losing the title to John McEnroe and Peter Fleming. In 1984, Tom won the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship with Manuela Maleeva. His career-high world rankings were No. 34 in singles and No. 9 in doubles (both in 1984). During his professional career, 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.Both brothers pursued successful coaching careers after leaving the professional circuit.After his retirement in 1987, Tom became one of the original members of the United States Tennis Association Player Development Program, coaching players such as Jennifer Capriati, Todd Martin and Jim Courier. During his tenure as the U.S. Davis Cup captain (1994-99), Tom led the United States to its record 31st Davis Cup title (1995), winning against Russia. His coaching career reached another milestone when he was chosen to serve as the coach for the U.S. Olympic men?s tennis team at the 1996 Atlanta games. The team included Andre Agassi, who fulfilled his Olympic dream by winning the gold medal.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 physical, emotional and social challenges of the illness. In order to fulfill that need, Tim, Rosemary and Tom Gullikson, along with their families, founded the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation (?TTGF?) in 1995.Eighteen months 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 fund support programs for brain tumor patients and their families. 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.