Althea Gibson(1927-2003)
- Actress
- Writer
She was the first to break the color barrier of the American Lawn
Tennis League in 1950 and played in the U.S. National Tennis
Championship in Forest Hills. She became the first African-American
player to play in Wimbledon in 1951. She won the French Championship in
1956. She won in Wimbledon in 1957, the trophy presented to her by
Queen Elizabeth. She successfully defended her Wimbledon title in 1958.
She won the U.S. National Tennis Championship at Forest Hills in 1957
and 1958. She retired from Tennis in 1958 and played for a while with
the Harlem Globetrotters. She also broke the color barrier in
golf, launching her golf career in 1964 and joining the LPGA.
