Althea Gibson
She shattered tennis's color barrier with regal power, winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals and paving the way for every athlete of color who followed.
1927–2003 (age 76)·American tennis player·Birthday: August 25·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Althea Gibson arrived on the center courts of the world not through country club privilege, but through the public asphalt of Harlem. A natural, powerful athlete, she dominated the segregated American Tennis Association before her talent became impossible for the all-white USLTA to ignore. Her 1950 appearance at the U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills was a quiet earthquake. Six years later, she won the French Open, becoming the first Black athlete to claim a Grand Slam title. Then, in 1957, she stood victorious at Wimbledon and Forest Hills, a champion who played with forceful grace and an imposing serve-and-volley game. After tennis, she broke ground again as a professional golfer. Gibson's journey was lonely and financially difficult, but her towering achievements forced open doors that had been firmly locked, changing the face of her sport forever.
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.
Althea was born in 1927, 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 Althea Was Born
The biggest hits of 1927
#1 Movie
Wings
Althea's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1927Born
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1932Started school
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1940Became a teenager
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1943Could drive
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
1945Could vote
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Turned 21
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1957Turned 30
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 40
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 50
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 60
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 70
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2003Died at 76
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Key Achievements
- In 1956, she became the first Black athlete to win a Grand Slam title, capturing the French Championships.
- She won the singles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1957 and again in 1958.
- She won a total of 11 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
- She was voted the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in both 1957 and 1958.
- She broke the color barrier in professional golf, competing on the LPGA tour.
Did You Know?
Before tennis, she was a champion paddle tennis player on the streets of New York.
She recorded an album, 'Althea Gibson Sings,' and appeared in a John Ford film, 'The Horse Soldiers.'
She served as New Jersey's state commissioner of athletics in the 1970s.
She was the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazines.
“I hope that I have accomplished just one thing: that I have been a credit to tennis and my country.”
