I chose Althea Gibson because she is a tennis and golf role model to me. I also picked her because she was the first African American to play in an open tournament in golf and tennis . She broke the race barrier in both sports.  She never quit  tennis even when she was going through a great deal of discrimination.   To learn more go to this slideshow.

 Even those with little knowledge in sports know the names of such famous athletes as Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams and maybe Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson. You would probably see Althea’s name under a woman who broke many barriers or maybe under tennis sensation, if you look closer. Althea is known for making it possible for other African Americans to play national tennis or national golf by making a pathway for them to walk on.

          Althea was born on August 25, 1927 in Silver, South Carolina. Her parents were Annie Bell Gibson and Daniel Gibson. Her mother was Annie Bell Gibson and her father was Daniel Gibson “Dush”. Althea also had two little siblings. She had a little brother called Daniel Gibson Jr. “Bubba” and she had a little sister called Mildred Gibson “Millie”. Althea was the daughter of sharecroppers. Althea went to Elementary, Middle School (most of the year) and High School. Althea went to two other High Schools (Williston Industrial High School and Florida A&M University High School). Althea lived in Clarendon County, South Carolina until she was three then she moved with her aunt in New York City, New York. While Althea was living with her aunt’s her family, she finally found a new house to live in on 143^rd Street. After a few years of living in New York City, Althea’s new baby brother Daniel Gibson Jr. was born. In that same summer of 1938 Althea played paddleball for the first time with her cousin Mattie. Althea became a tennis champion at the age of fifteen. Althea goal was to help other African Americans have the opportunity to play in the USLTA. Althea was a child who lived on welfare she had to face discrimination as a child and as an adult. By the age of twelve, Althea was a city wide champion. By the end of the summer of 1939, Althea was the official champion of women’s paddleball in New York City, even though she was only twelve years old. When Buddy Walker saw Althea play he started instructing her and then entered her in the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club. From then on she was instructed now from Fred Johnson. She started taking lessons at Harlem’s Cosmopolitan Tennis Club by Fred Johnson in 1941. Fred Johnson entered Althea in the girls’ single New York State Open Championship. It was her first championship and she won. She was also entered in the first tournament sponsored by the all black American Tennis Association in 1942 and won that championship also. In 1943 there wasn’t an ATA (American Tennis Association) national tournament because the United States had entered the war with Japan and Germany. But in 1944 and 1945, Althea won the ATA girls’ singles trophy.

          In August of 1945 Althea turned eighteen, and now was completely free to do whatever she wanted. And her dream was that she always wanted to be somebody. One day Althea just went bowling with her friend and met one of the best boxing stars in the 1900s and that boxing star was Sugar Ray Johnson. In 1946 Althea was now old enough to play in the women’s division of ATA tournaments. After that Gibson was finally invited to play the Eastern Grass Courts at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in New Jersey. Then enters her first outdoor United States Lawn Tennis Association (USTLA) tournaments and also plays in the U.S National Tennis Championships at Forest Hills. She was the first African American to win champions at the Grand Slam tournaments. She was the first African American female to win the U.S National Championship. Althea came back to spend a day with Sugar Ray and his wife. Then Althea finally got the saxophone she always wanted from Sugar Ray. When Dr. Eaton and Dr. Johnson came to see one of Althea’s games, after the game they came up and introduced themselves to Althea. Dr. Eaton and Dr. Johnson tried to help Althea go to college, finish high school (since she kept skipping school) and be a good athlete in tennis. So in 1946 Althea moved to Wilmington, North Carolina to work on her tennis game and schoolwork with Dr. Hubert A. Eaton; and enrolls in high school there. In the summer of 1947 Althea went to Lynchburg, Virginia, to stay in Dr. Johnson’s handsome three – story house. In 1947 Althea won the first of ten straight ATA National Championships. In 1949 she competes against white players for the first time; and enrolls at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL.  In Wimbledon Althea defeated Darlene Hard in straight sets to become the first African American to win the women singles crown. She broke the race barrier in 1950 at the Eastern Indoor Championships in tennis. She won 56 singles and doubles titles during her amateur career in the 1950s before gaining international and national acclaim for her athletic prowess on the professional level in tennis.  There wasn’t a professional tennis tour in the 1950s so Gibson turned to the pro golf tour for a few years, but she didn’t distinguish herself. Althea then started working with tennis coach Sydney Llewellyn in1954. Then graduates from Florida A&M, and moves to Jefferson City, Missouri. Althea was the first African American to win singles titles at the French Championships (1956), and in Wimbledon (1957).Gibson won 11 major titles in the late 1950s. Gibson also won eleven Grand Slam titles in all, adding six doubles crowns to her singles success. Then was the winner of 12 Grand Slam titles. Althea wins the French Championships again, and then tours the Australian tennis tournament circuit. Then Althea travels through the Southwest Asia on a U.S State Department Sponsored by the goodwill tennis tour. Gibson also competes in all England tennis. Althea launches her professional golf career; and joins the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1964. Althea broke the race barrier in golf. Then Althea married William Darben together they had no children.

She won the All England Championships at Wimbledon and the U.S National Tennis Championship at Forest Hills. Wins Wimbledon at Forest Hills; retires from amateur tennis. She tried playing a few events after open tennis in 1968, but she was in her 40s and was too old to beat her younger opponents. Althea divorced Darben in 1976, but in 1983 she married Sydney Llewellyn Althea finally moved back to Harlem since she thought the life in Missouri was to slow and because of all the discrimination she faced on her journey. Althea worked as a tennis teaching pro after she stopped competing. She also releases a record album, Althea Gibson Sings; appears in a film, The Horse Soldiers. Retiresfrom professional golf; starts as a professional tennis player. Althea takes a job as a manager of East Orange, New Jersey, Department of Recreation. She became New Jersey State Commissioner of Athletics in 1975, a post held for 10 years. She then served on the state’s Athletics Control Board until 1988 and the Governor’s Council Physical Fitness until 1992. On September 28, 2003 Althea Gibson died. But Althea was still remembered as a pioneer, tennis legend and a trailblazing athlete. The cause of Althea‘s death respiratory failure. She is in 11 Hall of Fames and won 8 awards (plus 56 titles and six doubles).

Althea’s contributions were important to this world because she broke down the racial barrier and let others achieve in what ever goal they would like. Her contributions still live on today because people of all races are able to play tennis and golf.

Althea Gibson is a phenomenal tennis player who broke barriers and made it possible for other African Americans to follow her footsteps. My person was interesting to study because I an interested in tennis and golf. She was a worldwide tennis player, and a country wide golfer.

WORKS CITED

 “Althea Gibson”. 3/28/08. http://www.altheagibson.com/biographical.htm.

 “Before the Williams Sisters there was Althea Gibson”. 5/25/08. http://www.mshale.com/article.cfm?articleID=1553.

 “Althea Gibson Community”. 5/25/08. http://www.middlestates.usta.com/communitytennis/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=516838&itype.

 “Althea Gibson”. 5/23/08. http://www.usca.edu/aasc/AltheaGibson.htm

 Thurmond, Sarah. “10 moments that changed tennis forever”. Tennis -- History October 2007 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=5&hid=102&sid=9bc