James Richard Poole is a former American badminton

Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 player who won national and international championships between 1958 and 1979.

Career

Though he took up the sport in earnest at a far later age than do most elite players, Poole went on to have a remarkably long career in high level badminton, probably playing the best doubles of his career in his late thirties during an eleven season partnership with Don Paup

Donald C. Paup

Donald C. Paup is a former American badminton player who won national and international titles from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s. Primarily a doubles specialist, he was known for his quick racket and tactical astuteness. He was ranked first in the U.S...

. The 21-year span from his first to his last U.S. title is the longest of any player. Noted for his shot-making accuracy and consistency, and for his tactical astuteness, Poole was the first of only four non-Asians to win the Malayan (Malaysian) Open

Malaysia Open (badminton)

The Malaysia Open is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tournament has been held since 1937 and has been played in different locations such as Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, Selangor, Kuantan....

 singles title (1961). He was a member of seven consecutive US Thomas Cup

Thomas Cup

The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...

 (men's international) teams from 1958 through 1976 and won over 70 percent of his matches in these contests. In 1970 he was elected into the U.S. Badminton Hall of Fame

Badminton Hall of Fame

The Badminton Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at badminton, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game.There is also a USA Badminton Hall of Fame and a Badminton Canada's Hall of Fame ....

, now called the Walk of Fame.
An all-around athlete who played basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 and baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 for San Diego State University

San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

, Poole was a member of the winning US Pan-American Games Basketball Team in 1955. From 1975 to 1995 he officiated National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 Games, working in two Super Bowls as a back judge.

Major Achievements

Tournament	Event and year
US Open	Men's Singles (1958, 1961), Men's Doubles (1968, 1973), Mixed Doubles (1971)
U.S. National Badminton Championships U.S. National Badminton Championships The U.S. National Badminton Championships is a tournament organized by USA Badminton and held annually to crown the best badminton players in the United States....	Men's Doubles (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979), Mixed Doubles (1970)
Canadian Open Canadian Open (badminton) The Canadian Open in badminton is an international open held in Canada since 1957. The tournament is traditionally held every year in September....	Men's Doubles (1962, 1965)
Malayan Open Malaysia Open (badminton) The Malaysia Open is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tournament has been held since 1937 and has been played in different locations such as Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, Selangor, Kuantan....	Men's Singles (1961)