Floyd "Lefty" Johnson - Inducted 2000

1937 Watertown High School grad. 1948 Augustana grad. Thought of by many as Mr. Tennis in South Dakota, the longtime Brookings teacher and principal won almost 50 state championships of one kind or another since his high school days. Appropriately, the SD Tennis Hall of Fame started in 1991 with his induction.

After starting city tennis programs in Watertown (1935-39) and Sioux Falls (1946-48), Johnson came to Brookings in 1948 to coach and teach (he coached football, basketball and track for seven years, (1948-54). He started Brookings' tennis program, and eventually lured the S.D. Closed to Brookings. He directed that event for 20 years.

At Augustana, he won North Central Conference titles in singles and doubles in 1947 and 1948 and led the Vikings to wins over Division I opponents Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Wesleyan. Was also a fine basketball and volleyball player.