What is Althea Gibson birthday?

Althea Gibson was born at 1927-08-25

When was Althea Gibson died?

Althea Gibson was died at 2003-09-28

Where was Althea Gibson died?

Althea Gibson was died in East Orange

Which age was Althea Gibson died?

Althea Gibson was died at age 76

Where is Althea Gibson's birth place?

Althea Gibson was born in Clarendon County

What is Althea Gibson nationalities?

Althea Gibson's nationalities is American

Who is Althea Gibson spouses?

Althea Gibson's spouses is Sydney Llewellyn, Will Darben

What was Althea Gibson universities?

Althea Gibson studied at Florida A&M University

Who is Althea Gibson's father?

Althea Gibson's father is Daniel Gibson

Who is Althea Gibson's mother?

Althea Gibson's mother is Annie Bell Gibson

How famous is Althea Gibson?

Althea Gibson is famouse as Tennis player

Althea Gibson - Tennis Players, Family and Childhood

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Personal Details
Photo
Overview
Awards
Timeline
FAQ

African American Athletes American Sportspersons Tennis Players Virgo Celebrities

Althea Gibson's Personal Details

An American tennis player, professional golfer, Althea Gibson was the first woman, of African-American origin, to carve a niche in the international tennis arena

Information	Detail
Birthday	August 25, 1927
Died on	September 28, 2003
Nationality	American
Famous	African American Athletes, Sportspersons, Tennis Players, African American Women, Black Women, Tennis Players
Spouses	Sydney Llewellyn, Will Darben
Universities	Florida A&M University
Birth Place	Clarendon County
Gender	Female
Father	Daniel Gibson
Mother	Annie Bell Gibson
Sun Sign	Virgo
Born in	Clarendon County
Famous as	Tennis player
Died at Age	76

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Who is Althea Gibson?

Althea Gibson was born in a poor family, but her financial conditions didn’t deter her from excelling in the world of tennis. Despite being a person of black origin, she stood out as a role model for women and sportspersons of African-American origin all over the world. At a time when black sportspersons were still in the novices, she stormed the tennis world. She started playing at a tender age and continued to do so till the world was forced to accept her. She became the first tennis player hailing from the African-American community to win a ‘Grand Slam’ title. She has been touted as one of the greatest players by former tennis greats such as Robert Ryland and Billie Jean King. She battled apartheid her entire life and struggled to make a difference in such conditions. At one point of time, she even contemplated leaving amateur tennis and joining the US Army. However, she changed her decision after being nominated for the US peace delegation for Asian nations. The tour greatly boosted her morale and she went on to register her win in the ‘US Open’ and ‘Wimbledon’ tournaments. The country still coming to terms with bigotry, received her with open arms on her victory. She later became an inspiration for players like Venus and Serena Williams

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Childhood & Early Life

Born in Clarendon County, South Carolina, on August 25th 1927, to cotton farmers Daniel and Annie Bell Gibson, Althea was the eldest of all her siblings, which included three sisters and a brother, apart from her. The rest of her siblings were born in Harlem, a place where the family migrated when the great depression affected the rural farmers.

As a child, she often didn’t turn up at school, but developed a strong liking towards sports.

Her family resided close to the area which belonged to the ‘Police Athletic League’, and was meant for sport-related activities. This was where she learnt to play paddle tennis, and by 1939 she went on to win the New York City’s ‘Women Paddle Tennis championship’.

Career

Having established herself as a pro in paddle tennis in her neighbourhood, Althea’s talent was noted by musician Buddy Walker. He encouraged her to play tennis and thus began Gibson’s tryst with the sport.

She put up an impressive show at the recreational games, which was organized by the local authorities. This led to her enrolment to the ‘Cosmopolitan Tennis Club’, Harlem, in 1940. Her family struggled to make ends meet and was unable to sponsor her membership. However, after realizing her potential, the families in her neighbourhood chipped in to raise funds for her membership.

This budding tennis player’s first rendezvous with glory happened in 1941, when she won the ‘New York State Championship’, an event organized by ‘American Tennis Association (ATA)’. The ‘ATA’ was an organization which sponsored and promoted African-American players in tennis. Her success in the tournament, gave this player the opportunity to hone her skills under the tutelage of physician Walter Johnson.

In 1944, and the year later, she emerged victorious in the girls category of the ‘ATA National Championship’.

She shifted base from Harlem to North Carolina in 1946, after the physician Hubert A. Eaton decided to offer her financial assistance. The same year, she reached the finals in the women’s category of the ‘ATA National Championship’, but lost the tournament.

However, she regained the lost title in 1947, and retained the honour for the next nine years.

Propelled by her ‘ATA’ success, Althea gained access to other important competitions, including the one conducted by ‘United States Tennis Association’. In the 1949 ‘National indoor Championship’ organized by ‘USTA’, she qualified for the quarter finals. She earned a full scholarship, on athletic grounds, from the ‘Florida A&M University’ the same year, after finally completing her primary education from ‘Williston High School’.

Despite being a gifted player, she went through a lot of hardships, as the world of tennis was gripped by the clutches of apartheid, and a lot of tournaments debarred black players from participating.

During this time, many of the tennis greats voiced their support for her, including ‘ATA’ officials and Alice Marble, who wrote an open letter disparaging the tennis fraternity’s discriminatory attitude towards black players. This letter caused quite a stir in the sports fraternity, and Gibson was called to participate in the ‘US Open’ tournament.

Her participation received much national and international hype, as she was the first black competitor to have made it to the ‘US Open’ in 1950, and the ‘Wimbledon’ a year later.

She climbed the rank ladder steadily and registered her first international win during the ‘Caribbean Championships’ in 1951. By the next year, she had secured a place among the top ten players in the US.

She even did a brief stint as an athletic instructor at the ‘Lincoln University’, after her graduation from ‘A&M University’ in 1953.

While she was in a dilemma whether or not to be a part of the US Army, the ‘American Lawn Tennis Association’ selected her to be a part of the State Department’s goodwill delegation sent to Asian countries in 1955.

As a part of the six week tour, the delegation visited many countries of the Indian sub-continent.

With her towering height and long limbs, she became an expert of volley, and was known for her serves. In 1956, she won her first grand slam title in the ‘French Open’.

During the 1957 ‘Wimbledon’, she clinched the singles and the doubles title. She also won the ‘US Open’ title the same year. Her success was celebrated with a ticker tape parade in New York. She was also felicitated with the city’s highest civilian award, the ‘Bronze Medallion’.

The year 1957 was a glorious period in the life of Althea. Apart from the ‘US Open’ and ‘Wimbledon’ wins, she triumphed at the ‘Australian Doubles’ and ‘US Mixed doubles’ events. She also won the runners up trophy in the ‘Australian Singles’, ‘US Doubles’, and ‘Wimbledon Mixed Doubles events’.

The year 1958, saw her successfully defending her ‘US Open’, ‘Wimbledon singles’ as well as the ‘Wimbledon Doubles’ titles. With her national and international wins tallying up to 56, she retired from amateur tennis at the age of 31.

As in the times before the ‘Open’ era of tennis, the players were not entitled to any prize money. She had to take up promotional events and exhibition matches to keep herself afloat.

She forayed into the entertainment industry in the year 1959, when her first album ‘Althea Gibson Sings’ with the label ‘Dot Records’ was released. She also worked as a sports commentator and took to print and TV ads during this time.

In 1964, she again dazed the world by participating in the ‘Ladies Professional Golf Association’ (LPGA) tour. Althea became the first African-American woman to participate in the sport. Her athletic prowess helped her in the game, but she couldn’t match up to her glorifying tennis feats.

Though she faced criticism for being a black, Althea never let the bigotry come in her way. She retired from the sport in 1978, with a career best ranking of 27.

The tennis player made a comeback to tennis when the open era finally arrived, but she had lost her agility and strength by the time, and could not fare well against young competitors.

Over the next decade, she also took to coaching upcoming tennis players and got involved in various social causes revolving around tennis. She also held the post of New Jersey's Athletic Commissioner in 1976. She also worked on the supervisory body for the Governor’s council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Awards & Achievements

In the years 1957- 58, Althea was ranked number one amongst the women belonging to the United States and from across the World. She was honoured as the ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ by the Associated Press.

Gibson’s contribution to tennis was appraised, when she was inducted into the ‘International Tennis Hall of Fame’ in 1971.

This sportswoman was honoured by the 'National Collegiate Athletic Association' with the ‘Theodore Roosevelt Award’ in 1991. It was for the first time since the inception of the award that a female was receiving the honour.

Personal Life & Legacy

Althea married William Darben in 1965. They were introduced to each other through Rosemary Darben, a tennis player who also happened to be the tennis player’s best friend. The eleven-year-old marriage ended in divorce.

Althea entered the wedlock again in 1983. This relationship, with Sydney Llewellyn, her one time tennis coach, also culminated in divorce five years later. Despite two marriages, she had no children of her own.

This iconic tennis player succumbed to respiratory problems and bladder infections on September 28th, 2003. She was also a victim of a heart attack, but managed to survive it.

To commemorate Gibson's contribution to sports, the United States Postal Service released a postage stamp in August 2013.

Trivia

The legendary player, a pioneer in the world of tennis, she spent her last days in bankruptcy

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Althea Gibson's awards

Year	Name	Award
Other
0	Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year

Althea Gibson biography timelines

// 25th Aug 1927
Born in Clarendon County, South Carolina, on August 25th 1927, to cotton farmers Daniel and Annie Bell Gibson, Althea was the eldest of all her siblings, which included three sisters and a brother, apart from her. The rest of her siblings were born in Harlem, a place where the family migrated when the great depression affected the rural farmers.
// 1939
Her family resided close to the area which belonged to the ‘Police Athletic League’, and was meant for sport-related activities. This was where she learnt to play paddle tennis, and by 1939 she went on to win the New York City’s ‘Women Paddle Tennis championship’.
// 1940
She put up an impressive show at the recreational games, which was organized by the local authorities. This led to her enrolment to the ‘Cosmopolitan Tennis Club’, Harlem, in 1940. Her family struggled to make ends meet and was unable to sponsor her membership. However, after realizing her potential, the families in her neighbourhood chipped in to raise funds for her membership.
// 1941
This budding tennis player’s first rendezvous with glory happened in 1941, when she won the ‘New York State Championship’, an event organized by ‘American Tennis Association (ATA)’. The ‘ATA’ was an organization which sponsored and promoted African-American players in tennis. Her success in the tournament, gave this player the opportunity to hone her skills under the tutelage of physician Walter Johnson.
// 1944
In 1944, and the year later, she emerged victorious in the girls category of the ‘ATA National Championship’.
// 1946
She shifted base from Harlem to North Carolina in 1946, after the physician Hubert A. Eaton decided to offer her financial assistance. The same year, she reached the finals in the women’s category of the ‘ATA National Championship’, but lost the tournament.
// 1947
However, she regained the lost title in 1947, and retained the honour for the next nine years.
// 1949
Propelled by her ‘ATA’ success, Althea gained access to other important competitions, including the one conducted by ‘United States Tennis Association’. In the 1949 ‘National indoor Championship’ organized by ‘USTA’, she qualified for the quarter finals. She earned a full scholarship, on athletic grounds, from the ‘Florida A&M University’ the same year, after finally completing her primary education from ‘Williston High School’.
// 1950
Her participation received much national and international hype, as she was the first black competitor to have made it to the ‘US Open’ in 1950, and the ‘Wimbledon’ a year later.
// 1951
She climbed the rank ladder steadily and registered her first international win during the ‘Caribbean Championships’ in 1951. By the next year, she had secured a place among the top ten players in the US.
// 1953
She even did a brief stint as an athletic instructor at the ‘Lincoln University’, after her graduation from ‘A&M University’ in 1953.
// 1955
While she was in a dilemma whether or not to be a part of the US Army, the ‘American Lawn Tennis Association’ selected her to be a part of the State Department’s goodwill delegation sent to Asian countries in 1955.
// 1956
With her towering height and long limbs, she became an expert of volley, and was known for her serves. In 1956, she won her first grand slam title in the ‘French Open’.
// 1957
During the 1957 ‘Wimbledon’, she clinched the singles and the doubles title. She also won the ‘US Open’ title the same year. Her success was celebrated with a ticker tape parade in New York. She was also felicitated with the city’s highest civilian award, the ‘Bronze Medallion’.
// 1957
The year 1957 was a glorious period in the life of Althea. Apart from the ‘US Open’ and ‘Wimbledon’ wins, she triumphed at the ‘Australian Doubles’ and ‘US Mixed doubles’ events. She also won the runners up trophy in the ‘Australian Singles’, ‘US Doubles’, and ‘Wimbledon Mixed Doubles events’.
// 1957 To 1958
In the years 1957- 58, Althea was ranked number one amongst the women belonging to the United States and from across the World. She was honoured as the ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ by the Associated Press.
// 1958
The year 1958, saw her successfully defending her ‘US Open’, ‘Wimbledon singles’ as well as the ‘Wimbledon Doubles’ titles. With her national and international wins tallying up to 56, she retired from amateur tennis at the age of 31.
// 1959
She forayed into the entertainment industry in the year 1959, when her first album ‘Althea Gibson Sings’ with the label ‘Dot Records’ was released. She also worked as a sports commentator and took to print and TV ads during this time.
// 1964
In 1964, she again dazed the world by participating in the ‘Ladies Professional Golf Association’ (LPGA) tour. Althea became the first African-American woman to participate in the sport. Her athletic prowess helped her in the game, but she couldn’t match up to her glorifying tennis feats.
// 1965
Althea married William Darben in 1965. They were introduced to each other through Rosemary Darben, a tennis player who also happened to be the tennis player’s best friend. The eleven-year-old marriage ended in divorce.
// 1971
Gibson’s contribution to tennis was appraised, when she was inducted into the ‘International Tennis Hall of Fame’ in 1971.
// 1976
Over the next decade, she also took to coaching upcoming tennis players and got involved in various social causes revolving around tennis. She also held the post of New Jersey's Athletic Commissioner in 1976. She also worked on the supervisory body for the Governor’s council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
// 1978
Though she faced criticism for being a black, Althea never let the bigotry come in her way. She retired from the sport in 1978, with a career best ranking of 27.
// 1983
Althea entered the wedlock again in 1983. This relationship, with Sydney Llewellyn, her one time tennis coach, also culminated in divorce five years later. Despite two marriages, she had no children of her own.
// 1991
This sportswoman was honoured by the 'National Collegiate Athletic Association' with the ‘Theodore Roosevelt Award’ in 1991. It was for the first time since the inception of the award that a female was receiving the honour.
// 28th Sep 2003
This iconic tennis player succumbed to respiratory problems and bladder infections on September 28th, 2003. She was also a victim of a heart attack, but managed to survive it.
// Aug 2013
To commemorate Gibson's contribution to sports, the United States Postal Service released a postage stamp in August 2013.

// Famous African American Athletes

Althea Gibson's FAQ

What is Althea Gibson birthday?
Althea Gibson was born at 1927-08-25
When was Althea Gibson died?
Althea Gibson was died at 2003-09-28
Where was Althea Gibson died?
Althea Gibson was died in East Orange
Which age was Althea Gibson died?
Althea Gibson was died at age 76
Where is Althea Gibson's birth place?
Althea Gibson was born in Clarendon County
What is Althea Gibson nationalities?
Althea Gibson's nationalities is American
Who is Althea Gibson spouses?
Althea Gibson's spouses is Sydney Llewellyn, Will Darben
What was Althea Gibson universities?
Althea Gibson studied at Florida A&M University
Who is Althea Gibson's father?
Althea Gibson's father is Daniel Gibson
Who is Althea Gibson's mother?
Althea Gibson's mother is Annie Bell Gibson
What is Althea Gibson's sun sign?
Althea Gibson is Virgo
How famous is Althea Gibson?
Althea Gibson is famouse as Tennis player