One of the best left-wall doubles players in history, Michael Pierce was a dominant player in the 1970s and 1980s. As an amateur coming out of the Cynwyd Club, he won the U.S. Nationals in 1975 and Canadian Nationals in 1975 and 1977, as well later taking the National Mixed in 1988 and three World Doubles titles. In masters play, Pierce captured the National 40+ in 1995, 1996, 1997; the 50+ in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004; the 55+ in 2005, 2006 and 2008; and the 60+ in 2010—thus, he is the only player to have won the national open, 40+, 50+ and 60+ draws. A professional from 1978 to 1990, Pierce consistently performed at the highest level on tour. Playing often with Maurice Heckscher, Pierce captured four Johnsons, four Cambridge Clubs, three Elites and three North American Opens. In addition, he collected nine Gold Racquets titles in four different decades (he played in the event thirty-seven straight years), ten William Whites with five partners and fourteen Philadelphia SRA doubles titles with seven different partners. His pin-point accuracy, especially when hitting a reverse corner, was legendary. Off the court, Pierce has been a leading philanthropic and administrative force. He was the president of the Philadelphia SRA in the 1970s; a long-time US Squash board member; the first major donor to the urban squash movement with SquashBusters in 1995; the director of the women’s pro doubles event at the court he built in John’s Island, Florida; and he helped secure US Squash’s first permanent headquarters in Bala Cynwyd.
