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8 unusual facts about Althea Gibson


American Tennis Association

The American Tennis Association continued to be the primary governing body for African-American tennis in the United States until the desegregation of the USLTA in the 1950s, after Althea Gibson became the first African-American player to compete in the U.S. National Championships at Forest Hills, NY.

Art Rust, Jr.

Other books include Joe Louis, My Life (1978), a collaboration with the Brown Bomber; Recollections of a Baseball Junkie (1985) in which Rust waxes poetically about his life; Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black Athlete which celebrates greats such as Jessie Owens and Althea Gibson; and Darryl with Darryl Strawberry (1992).

Bill Miles

Important topics included the impressive performances of various black athletes at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball, Althea Gibson's achievements in tennis, and the careers of early black football stars.

Christine Truman

The British junior champion in 1956 and 1957, Truman made her Wimbledon debut in 1957 at age 16 and reached the semifinals, where she lost to Althea Gibson.

Dr. Robert Walter Johnson House and Tennis Court

Stressing sportsmanship and discipline, Johnson trained stars such as Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, the first African-Americans to ever win at Wimbledon.

Eldridge Hawkins

In the 1977 Democratic primary for the Senate seat, Hawkins and tennis star Althea Gibson challenged incumbent Frank J. Dodd, who had the support of Essex County Democratic organization under County Chairman Harry Lerner.

Kurt Nielsen

With Althea Gibson, Nielsen won the US Open mixed doubles in 1957, thereby becoming the first Dane to have ever won a Grand Slam event as a senior.

Margaret Varner Bloss

Though she never reached the relative heights in tennis that she did in badminton and squash, she was a strong enough player to reach the final of Wimbledon Women's Doubles in 1958, losing to Hall-of-Famers Althea Gibson and Maria Bueno.


Nancy Chaffee

She won the U.S. National Indoor Championship, played at the Seventh Regiment Armory in Manhattan, from 1950 to 1952, defeating Althea Gibson, Beverly Baker and Patricia Todd in the finals.


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