CUA loses Hall of Fame tennis coach Dorasavage

WASHINGTON - Former CUA tennis coach William “Bill” Dorasavage passed away on Friday, August 20 surrounded by his family in Rockville, Md.  Dorasavage’s wife of 67 years, Helen, was by his side along with their daughters Susan, Helene, Peggy and Betty.

Born in Shenandoah, Pa., in 1920 Dorasavage came to CUA in 1938, arriving from Pottsville, Pa., having earlier won the Pennsylvania Junior Tennis championship.  He immediately became the number-one singles player at CUA and remained that way for all four of his undergraduate years.  Dorasavage graduated in 1941 after serving as captain of the CUA tennis team. 

Following graduation Dorasavage entered the United States Air Force and in 1943 he won the All-Air Force tennis tournament, one year after 1940 Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs had claimed the crown.

During one stretch as CUA’s tennis coach, Dorasavage’s teams won 68 matches in a row and three consecutive Mason Dixon Conference championships.  He had 11 straight winning seasons as tennis head coach and also coached soccer. 

In 1958 Dorasavage retired from coaching and joined the law offices at the Interior Department inWashington, D.C. where he served as chief of the Bureau of Land Management.  Later, he began his own real estate company.

Dorasavage’s daughter Susan played tennis at CUA for Jone Dowd on the school’s first women’s tennis team. 

In June of 1985 Dorasavge was inducted into CUA’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Current CUA men's tennis coach Marty Dowd with
Dorasavage at a party in May of 2010 celebrating
Dowd's 500th career victory