E. C. Good: The Man Behind the Legend

Some of the greatest mysteries in popular culture have been solved only after decades of painstaking detective work. The Beatles had their elusive Raymond Jones. Table tennis has its own equally enigmatic figure: E. C. Good, the man long credited with inventing the rubber-covered racket.

For more than a century, Good's famous pharmacy story has been repeated in books and articles around the world. Yet almost nothing about the man himself could ever be verified. Did he really exist? Was he truly the inventor of the rubber-covered racket? Or had table tennis history preserved little more than a legend?

Drawing on remarkable new research by historian Alan Duke, this article follows the clues through forgotten newspapers, tournament records, and early publications to uncover the most convincing solution yet to one of the sport's oldest mysteries.

The Mystery Behind a Legend

The most successful rock band in history is undoubtedly The Beatles. As the world's greatest band, they have inspired countless devoted fans, and virtually every conceivable detail of their history has been investigated.