Angela Buxton
A British tennis champion who used her biggest victory to smash racial barriers and forge a lifelong friendship.
1934–2020 (age 86)·British tennis player·Birthday: August 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Angela Buxton possessed a fierce, flat-hitting game that took her to the top of British tennis in the mid-1950s. She reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1956, but her most enduring triumph came in doubles that same year. Teaming with Althea Gibson, an African American player facing intense prejudice, they won the French and Wimbledon doubles titles. That partnership was more than a sporting alliance; it was a powerful, visible stand against the segregationist norms of the time. After a wrist injury cut her career short, Buxton channeled her competitive fire into journalism and coaching. She never forgot Gibson, and decades later, when she learned her former partner was struggling and ill, Buxton led a successful campaign to raise financial support for her, cementing a bond that transcended the sport they conquered together.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Angela was born in 1934, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Angela Was Born
The biggest hits of 1934
#1 Movie
It Happened One Night
Best Picture
It Happened One Night
Angela's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1934Born
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Started school
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Became a teenager
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Could drive
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1952Could vote
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Turned 21
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1964Turned 30
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 40
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 50
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 60
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 70
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 80
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2020Died at 86
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Won the women's doubles titles at both the French Championships and Wimbledon in 1956 with Althea Gibson.
- Reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1956, finishing as runner-up.
- Was ranked the British No. 1 women's tennis player in 1956.
- Co-founded the Wimbledon Tennis Gallery, a museum celebrating the sport's history.
Did You Know?
She was initially denied membership at the prestigious Cumberland Club in London because she was Jewish.
She wrote for the London Evening News and other publications as a tennis journalist.
She designed and marketed a line of tennis clothing after her playing career ended.
She helped establish the first professional tennis tour for women in the 1970s.
“On the court we were a team, and off it we were best friends. That's what mattered.”
