[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 707 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 707

   Honoring the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's championship at 
   Wimbledon and Forest Hills, and honoring the life and legacy of a 
teacher, daughter, and internationally acclaimed athlete who defied the 
                 boundaries of race, class, and gender.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2007

  Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself and Mr. Rangel) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
                         and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Honoring the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's championship at 
   Wimbledon and Forest Hills, and honoring the life and legacy of a 
teacher, daughter, and internationally acclaimed athlete who defied the 
                 boundaries of race, class, and gender.

Whereas 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson becoming the first 
        African-American to win the United States Championship (now the United 
        States Open) and Wimbledon;
Whereas in 1957, Queen Elizabeth II presented Althea Gibson with the 
        Championship trophy at Wimbledon, and Vice President Richard Nixon 
        presented Althea Gibson with the United States Championship trophy at 
        Forest Hills;
Whereas when Althea Gibson defended her titles at Wimbledon and the United 
        States Championship in the following year of 1958, she embodied her 
        belief that winning more than once is proof of one's ability;
Whereas Althea Gibson would have been eighty years old this year on August 25, 
        if she had not died at the age of 76 on September, 28, 2003;
Whereas Althea Gibson, the eldest daughter of sharecroppers who moved from South 
        Carolina to Harlem during the Depression, wrote that she always wanted 
        to be somebody, and she won nearly 100 awards for tennis;
Whereas despite poverty and her previous troubles in academics, Althea Gibson 
        received a full athletic scholarship to attend Florida A&M University 
        for basketball, becoming one of the few African-American females to 
        receive this honor at any college in the United States at that time;
Whereas Althea Gibson did not let prejudice, poverty, or consistent threats 
        against her life compromise her drive to become a champion of tennis and 
        an example of human excellence;
Whereas Althea Gibson transcended barriers of class, race, and gender when she 
        entered the world of national competitive tennis, a sphere historically 
        closed to individuals of her race and socioeconomic status;
Whereas Althea Gibson's style and ability defied conventional concepts of the 
        female tennis athlete when she played and won against men and women on 
        nearly every continent;
Whereas in an era in which there were few international celebrities of color, 
        Althea Gibson was an ambassador of sports and exhibited her talents in 
        many countries, including Australia, China, Mexico, Germany, England, 
        Italy, Haiti, and Egypt;
Whereas although Althea Gibson was recognized as the Queen of Tennis, racial 
        prejudice excluded her from lodging in the hotels that were in close 
        proximity to the arenas where she competed;
Whereas in 1950, Althea Gibson's talent and determination engendered discussions 
        about how the integration of tennis was an inevitable occurrence that 
        would benefit tennis as it had benefitted basketball, football, 
        baseball, and boxing;
Whereas on August 28 of that same year, Althea Gibson became the first African-
        American to compete at the National Open in Forest Hills;
Whereas Althea Gibson was not only the first African-American to win the 
        championship trophy at Wimbledon, but 6 years before that victory, she 
        was the first African-American to compete at Wimbledon;
Whereas Althea Gibson combated racial prejudice when she competed and won on 
        tennis courts that were previously segregated;
Whereas Althea Gibson's athletic prowess was not limited to tennis;
Whereas during the same year as the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a 
        law that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or 
        national origin, Althea Gibson became the first African-American to 
        become a Ladies Professional Golf Association card carrier;
Whereas although Althea Gibson was a champion of tennis, she was also an 
        actress, musician, and teacher, the quintessential Renaissance woman;
Whereas Althea Gibson risked her salary when she refused to adopt a dialect in 
        her portrayal of a Civil War maid in the 1959 film the Horses' Soldiers 
        because she felt that it compromised her dignity and the dignity of the 
        African-American community;
Whereas in 1971, Althea Gibson became the first African-American to be inducted 
        into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the only African-American 
        woman of the 200 athletes who have received this honor from its creation 
        in 1955 until the present year of 2007;
Whereas Althea Gibson was 1 of the first 6 people to be inducted into the 
        International Women's Sports Hall of Fame on September 16, 1980, an 
        honor shared by such pioneers as Amelia Earhart;
Whereas, in January 1991, Althea became the first woman to receive the Theodore 
        Roosevelt Award, the highest honor awarded by the National Collegiate 
        Athletic Association for ``symbolizing the best qualities of competitive 
        excellence and good sportsmanship, and for her significant contribution 
        to expanding opportunities for women and minorities through sports'';
Whereas Althea Gibson is a universal inspiration who received numerous accolades 
        and endured numerous humiliations, and despite the fact that she has 
        been largely forgotten, she undoubtedly made great strides for those 
        persons of color who sought to coach or play in professional sports; and
Whereas the Althea Gibson Foundation was established to support underprivileged 
        youth in their drive to succeed in golf, tennis, and the classroom, and 
        to ensure that Althea Gibson's legacy of excellence, tenacity, and 
        dedication lives on: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the 50-year anniversary of Althea Gibson 
        becoming the first African-American to win at Wimbledon and the 
        United States Championship at Forest Hills;
            (2) encourages the support of the Althea Gibson Foundation 
        and other organizations that support under-privileged youth in 
        their educational aspirations and athletic pursuits in the 
        areas of tennis and golf; and
            (3) encourages the preservation of the memory, legacy, and 
        well-being of athletes that were pioneers in their time and who 
        served as inspirations for succeeding generations.
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