Born in 1927 in Austin, Texas, Bartzen moved with his family to San Angelo when he was 5 years old.

Bartzen attended the College of William & Mary, where the left-hander posted a 50–0 singles record.

Bartzen reached the semifinals of the U.S. National Championships in 1959 (beating Vic Seixas and third-seeded Barry MacKay before losing to eventual champion Neale Fraser)[3] and the quarterfinals in 1955.

[5] After his playing career, Bartzen served 12 years as head tennis pro at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, where he hosted the Colonial National Invitational Tournament, before taking over the Texas Christian University program in 1974.

[5][6] Bernard James "Tut" Bartzen died on July 10, 2019, 19 years to the day after his wife, Sara Jane Ledbetter.