Althea Gibson
On July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson Won Both The Women's Singles And Doubles Titles At Wimbledon, England. In Doing So, She Became The First African American To Play For And Win These Major Tennis Championships. She Won Them Again In 1958.
In 1950, Gibson Was The First African American To Play In A U.S. Lawn Tennis Association Tournament. She Was The First Black Female To Win The National Clay-Court Singles Championship In Forest Hills, New York, In Both 1957 And 1958. During Those Same Years, She Also Won The Women's Singles Competition At The U.S. Open.
In 1963 She Traded In Her Tennis Racket To Pursue A Career As A Professional Golfer. And While Her Age Prevented Her From Sustaining A Long, Successful Career In That Sport, She Did Become The First Black Woman To Play In The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
In 1971 She Was Inducted Into The International Tennis Hall Of Fame. In 1975 She Was Appointed The New Jersey State Commissioner Of Athletics And Held That Position For 10 Years.
Althea Gibson Was Born In Silver, South Carolina But Raised In Harlem, New York. She Died September 28, 2003, In East Orange, New Jersey, Due To Respiratory Failure. She Was 76 Years Old. (Click Here To Watch A Documentary About Althea Gibson) "In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
Posted By: Hugh Gaddy
Monday, July 6th 2009 at 12:03AM
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