Althea Gibson
Wimbledon Tennis Trophy, won by Althea Gibson, 1958, National Museum of American History
October 3, 2003 – January 7, 2004
National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
2nd Floor, West Wing
To honor the recent death of tennis legend Althea Gibson, this case features one of her Wimbledon trophies, her racket, an outfit she wore during the 1957 Wimbledon tournament, and several photographs. Gibson was the first person of color to win a singles event at Wimbledon, hoisting the trophy twice, in 1957 and 1958. She was also the first black woman to play in the U.S. Tennis Championships (1950) win the complete a Grand-Slam. Gibson later broke the color barrier in professional golf when she joined the LPGA in 1964.