Althea Gibson

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Florida A&M University

An exceptional athlete with a formidable serve, Althea Gibson (b.1927) won 56 titles in her career. A courageous champion, Gibson became the first black player in international tennis.

Gibson grew up in Harlem where she first attracted attention playing paddle tennis. Switching to tennis at age 13, Gibson went on to win 10 successive national championships sponsored by the all-black American Tennis Association. Two ATA officials, Dr. Hubert Eaton and Dr. Robert Johnson, nurtured Gibson’s career and enabled her to attend Florida A&M University. Through her mentors’ efforts, aided by an impassioned statement from Alice Marble, Gibson played at the U.S. Championships in 1950 and then at Wimbledon in 1951.

After earning her B.S. in 1953 and briefly retiring from tennis, Gibson came roaring back in 1956, winning the French Open women’s singles and doubles titles and Wimbledon doubles title – the first black player to win a Grand Slam event. In both 1957 and 1958, Gibson took the U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles crowns, becoming the No. 1 player in the world.

Gibson turned professional in 1959 and later pursued a variety of interests including a 10-year term as New Jersey State Athletic Commissioner. Awarded numerous honors, Gibson became the first woman recipient of the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award in 1991.