Alice Marble
A tennis champion who dominated the pre-war courts with a serve-and-volley fury, then became a spy and a barrier-breaking coach.
1913–1990 (age 77)·American tennis player·Birthday: September 28·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alice Marble emerged from the public courts of San Francisco, a tomboy with a ferocious game that would redefine women's tennis. After a teenage bout with tuberculosis nearly ended her life, she fought back with a determination that fueled her athletic rise. Coached by the visionary Eleanor 'Teach' Tennant, Marble transformed into an attacking powerhouse, her serve-and-volley style a shocking contrast to the baseline play of her era. Between 1936 and 1940, she collected 18 major titles, her powerful blonde presence and shorts-clad confidence making her a star. Her career was halted by World War II, during which she undertook a mysterious intelligence mission for the US government. Later, as a magazine editor and coach, she famously wrote a pivotal letter advocating for Althea Gibson's integration into tennis, helping to break the sport's color barrier.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alice was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Alice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1990Died at 77
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Ranked as the world No. 1 women's tennis player in 1939.
- Won five Grand Slam singles titles, including four consecutive U.S. Championships from 1936 to 1939.
- Captured a total of 18 Grand Slam championships across singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
- Played a key role in breaking tennis's color barrier by publicly advocating for Althea Gibson's inclusion in 1950.
- Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.
Did You Know?
She worked as a fashion model and designed her own tennis dresses.
During WWII, she was reportedly shot during a spy mission in Switzerland while retrieving a Nazi financial document.
She was a talented baseball player and considered playing professionally for a minor league team.
She wrote detective novels and an autobiography titled 'Courting Danger.'
She coached future champion Billie Jean King for a brief period.
“You cannot become a champion until you acquire the ability to forget the last point, no matter how glorious or how ghastly.”
