Karl Behr headed the group pushing to move the national championships to New York City. The campaign reflected the growing importance of the New York tennis community in the early 20th century.
The U.S. National Championships had been held at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island since 1881. By 1911, many clubs, players, and spectators were concentrated around New York, leading supporters to argue that the tournament would benefit from a more central and better-connected location.
The relocation campaign succeeded in 1915, when the men's tournament moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. The women's event followed a different timetable and did not move there until 1921. A common mix-up is confusing Behr, the relocation advocate, with famous champions such as Richard Sears or Bill Tilden.