Born in Silver, South Carolina, raised on the tough streets of Harlem, quitting school and working as a
"counter girl in a Chock Full o' Nuts shop in lower Manhattan, a chicken cleaner on Long Island..., an elevator operator in the midtown Dixie Hotel, a packer in a button factory, a mechanic in a machine shop ('It was puttin' screws in somethin', I don't remember what')- quote source (Sport: That Gibson Girl, Time Magazine, August 26, 1957)
Althea Gibson (August 25, 1927- September 28, 2003), created history on her 23rd birthday-August 25, 1950, when she became the first black to ever play tennis in the US Lawn Tennis Championships held at the prestigious Forest Hills Tennis Club.
On that day, she easily breezed past her first round opponent Barbara Knapp 6-2,6-2.
Her second round opponent was three time Wimbledon winner, Louise Brough. The future tennis star was one game shy of knocking off Brough (leading 1-6, 6-3, 7-6) when a violent lightening storm--which knocked off a cement eagle from the top of the stadium--halted play.
Next day, with fear and trembling dominating her game, Gibson lost to Brough.
This street kid fought back and 7 years later--at age 30-- she became the number one ladies player in the world. She would win the French Open in 1956 beating Bristisher Angela Mortimer Barrett 6-0, 12-10 and then go on to win Wimbledon in 1957 against fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2. (Hard was the number one American female tennis star from 1960-1963)
Gibson would go on to win three more Grand Slams, for a total of five.
In addition, she won a total of 11 Grand Slam titles in the Women's and Mixed Doubles events.
She added further sports glories, by being the first black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour in 1963 and was appointed as Commissioner of New Jersey Athletics.
Two tennis facilities are named after her: One in Newark, New Jersey and the second in Wilmington, North Carolina.
On that day, she easily breezed past her first round opponent Barbara Knapp 6-2,6-2.
Her second round opponent was three time Wimbledon winner, Louise Brough. The future tennis star was one game shy of knocking off Brough (leading 1-6, 6-3, 7-6) when a violent lightening storm--which knocked off a cement eagle from the top of the stadium--halted play.
Next day, with fear and trembling dominating her game, Gibson lost to Brough.
This street kid fought back and 7 years later--at age 30-- she became the number one ladies player in the world. She would win the French Open in 1956 beating Bristisher Angela Mortimer Barrett 6-0, 12-10 and then go on to win Wimbledon in 1957 against fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2. (Hard was the number one American female tennis star from 1960-1963)
Gibson would go on to win three more Grand Slams, for a total of five.
In addition, she won a total of 11 Grand Slam titles in the Women's and Mixed Doubles events.
She added further sports glories, by being the first black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour in 1963 and was appointed as Commissioner of New Jersey Athletics.
Two tennis facilities are named after her: One in Newark, New Jersey and the second in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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