NCRTV Museum Announces the “Dorothy E. and Gerald Schneider Library” Following Generous Sponsorship Dedication Ceremony Scheduled for April 25, 2026

By PRESS OFFICER
National Capital Radio & Television Museum

Bowie, Md. (March 31, 2026)—The National Capital Radio & Television Museum is proud to announce a generous contribution from longtime supporter, and one of the five founders of the museum Mr. Gerald Schneider, whose philanthropy will directly support the museum’s library throughout Fiscal Year 2026. In recognition of his gift, the museum’s library will now be named the “Dorothy E. and Gerald Schneider Library” for the duration of this sponsorship.

Mr. Schneider’s sponsorship provides critical support for the preservation, organization, and accessibility of the museum’s growing library of radio, television, and broadcast-history materials. These library resources form part of the backbone of NCRTV’s mission to educate the public and preserve the history of electronic communication. This will help to ensure that our research library remains a vibrant, accessible space for historians, students, and lifelong learners.

To celebrate this milestone, the NCRTV Museum will host a dedication ceremony on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 1 p.m., held onsite at the museum. The event is open to the public, and all community members, supporters, and museum friends are warmly invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

The dedication will include remarks from museum leadership and invited guests, and an unveiling of the new Dorothy E. and Gerald Schneider Library signage.
 
Although the Library is off-site, we will be recognizing the new dedication inside of the museum proper.

This celebration highlights the museum’s continued commitment to preserving communications history, expanding access to its collections, and honoring those who make its mission possible.

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Ray Benton Receives NJTL Founders’ Service Award
Benton was CEO of the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Md.

By PRESS OFFICER
USTA

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 30, 2026)—The USTA today announced that Ray Benton was honored with the NJTL Founders’ Service Award during the 2026 USTA Annual Meeting & Conference, held in Orlando, Fla.

Benton is a highly experienced tennis executive, agent, promoter, and nonprofit leader whose more than fifty-year career has profoundly impacted the sport’s growth. Benton played tennis for the University of Iowa where he earned a B.A. and law degree. He later completed his MBA at the Wharton School, a program that was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. During his military service, he served in the law office at Ft. McClellan while also coaching tennis at Jacksonville State University and as director of tennis at both the Anniston and Gadsden Country Clubs.

Benton, a tennis advocate at every level of the game, was president of the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation. He promoted the United Bank Tennis Classic, a major ATP tournament, which was the first of more than 60 major events he directed between 1969 and 1986. This included the year-end tour finals for both the ATP and WTA.
 
In 1971, Benton moved to Washington, D.C. and became a partner at Dell, Craighill, Fentress, and Benton, the first firm to represent professional tennis and basketball players. He also served as the first Executive Director of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network from 1971–77, using his visionary talents to expand it from four to 50 chapters, and exponentially increasing its impact in the lives of thousands of young people from under-resourced communities nationwide.

In 1993, Benton created the first worldwide senior tennis circuit, featuring players including Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and other legends who competed in 24 events drawing more than 500,000 spectators annually.

Benton most recently spent 17 years as CEO of the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Md. During his tenure, JTCC developed high-achieving players on and off the court including more than 300 NCAA student-athletes who collectively earned over $26 million in college scholarships, and developed ATP and WTA players, including Frances Tiafoe, Hailey Baptiste, Denis Kudla, and Robin Montgomery. Benton championed JTCC’s mission of “Tennis for Everybody,” expanding access through community outreach to young people from under-resourced communities, adaptive programs for individuals with disabilities and veterans, and extensive beginner and adult programs.

Under Benton’s leadership, JTCC received national recognition from the USTA, earning Development Program of the Year, Organization of the Year, NJTL of the Year, and Facility of the Year honors, and solidified its reputation as a model for both tennis excellence and community impact.

“Ray is a shining example of what it means to be a grassroots tennis hero,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “His passion and dedication to developing leaders on and off the court truly embody the vision of NJTL co-founders Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell, and Sheridan Snyder. Ray’s work has opened doors and created opportunities for countless young people, and his legacy will resonate for generations to come.”

Established in 2010, the NJTL Founders’ Service Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to positive youth development through tennis and education, delivers outstanding service to young people from under-resourced communities with free or low-cost tennis, and provides education and life-skills programming. The NJTL network serves as the flagship program supported by the USTA Foundation.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level—from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.

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