DATE=9/29/03

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

TITLE=ALTHEA GIBSON OBIT

NUMBER=5-54346

BYLINE=STEVE SCHY

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Althea Gibson was a pioneer who left an indelible mark on sports, as she broke tennis' color barrier in the 1950's and helped pave the way for future generations of black athletes. She died Sunday at the age of 76. V-O-A's Steve Schy has more.

TEXT: Althea Gibson was the first black woman to compete at and win the Wimbledon and U-S national tennis titles, and she was also the first black player on the Ladies Professional Golfers Association Tour. Her presence helped pave the way for later stars such as Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods. Tennis commentator Mary Carillo.

/// CARILLO ACT ///

She opened up the doors for black tennis players. Before Arthur did it was Althea. Althea's the one who really broke the color barrier in tennis. She was almost six-feet tall and she used every bit of her extension to hit these gorgeous serves. She had a big game designed to get her to the net.

/// END ACT ///

In 1950, Gibson became the first black player to compete in the U-S tennis championships, and she played at Wimbledon in 1951. Disappointed by her showings at major tournaments, Althea Gibson considered quitting the game and joining the Women's Army Corps, or WACS.

/// GIBSON ACT ///

I had decided to go into the WACS. All I had to do was raise my hand and I would have been in the WACS, believe me. But then the State Department came and offered me a chance to visit Southeast Asia on a goodwill tour. And that led to my many victories in 1955-56.

/// END ACT ///

Those victories turned her career around. She captured the Wimbledon and U-S championships in 1957 and 1958, and also won the French Open, and three Wimbledon doubles titles (1956-58).

The eldest of five children, Gibson was raised in the Harlem section of New York City. She was a self-described "born athlete" who broke racial barriers not only in tennis but in the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She even toured with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team after retiring from tennis in the late 1950's. Her longtime friend, Fran Gray talks about Gibson.

/// GRAY ACT ///

Althea was a fighting spirit. She excelled because she was determined to make a mark for herself and her community.

/// END ACT ///

Speaking about breaking the racial barriers, Gibson said that "tennis was a game for ladies and gentleman, and I conducted myself in that manner."

Althea Gibson had been seriously ill for several years and died Sunday of complications from a severe infection and respiratory illness at the East Orange, New Jersey, General Hospital. (SIGNED)

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