Gibson, Althea, 1927-2003
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- African American National Biography, accessed January 30, 2015, via Oxford African American Studies Center database:(Gibson, Althea; tennis player, golfer, educator; born 25 August 1927 in Silver, South Carolina, United States; Completed A & M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee (1953); first African American to play on the grass courts of the All England Club at Wimbledon (1951); began a remarkable tournament run in which she took eight Grand Slam titles (1956-1958); won the women's singles championship and defended her doubles title at Wimbledon (1957); wrote first autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody (1958);first African American woman professional golfer (1964); honors include, first African American to win the U.S. Open, becoming number one woman tennis player in the world and named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press (AP) (1957); Tennis Hall of Fame (1971); first woman anywhere in the US to become an athletic commissioner for the state of New Jersey (1975); International Women's Hall of Fame (1980); died 28 September 2003 in East Orange, New Jersey, United States)
- Althea Gibson, 2005:p. 209 (d. Sept. 2003)
- Author's I always wanted to be somebody, 1958.
- IMDb, Aug. 29, 2006(Althea Gibson; b. Aug. 25, 1927, Silver, S.C.; d. Sept. 28, 2003, East Orange, N.J.)
- Information from 678 converted Jan. 5, 2015(tennis player)
- LCN
Wikipedia description:
Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927 – September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event (the French Open). The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals (precursor of the US Open), then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. In all, she won 11 Grand Slam titles: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title. "She is one of the greatest players who ever lived," said Bob Ryland, a tennis contemporary and former coach of Venus and Serena Williams. "Martina [Navratilova] couldn't touch her. I think she'd beat the Williams sisters." Gibson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971 and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. In the early 1960s, she also became the first Black player to compete in the Ladies Professional Golf Association. At a time when racism and prejudice were widespread in sports and in society, Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson. "Her road to success was a challenging one," said Billie Jean King "but I never saw her back down." "To anyone, she was an inspiration, because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were Black." said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. "I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps," wrote Venus Williams. "Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on."
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