Local Ties to Althea Gibson

Most tennis fans know the name Althea Gibson.

• Broke the color barrier in tennis

• Dominated tennis in the 1950s

• First Black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open Singles Championships

• Associated Press Athlete of the Year

After her eight-year tennis career — which featured 11 Grand Slam titles — she maintained a close relationship with the sport at a community level. Much of her community work, and her ties to the sport, were in the Middle States tennis community.

When Brendan Byrne was Governor of New Jersey in 1974, the Governor's Mansion was located at Morven in Princeton, N.J. Byrne was a tennis enthusiast, and during his tenure (1974-82), Gibson became the honorary resident tennis pro at the grounds. The Princeton mansion had a beautiful tennis court at the time. (The mansion was home to five governors and has since been converted into a museum.) 

Byrne and Gibson played many friendly games together over the years. He appointed Gibson to be State Commissioner of Athletics in 1975 — a role she held for 10 years and the first woman to hold the position. She was also on the State's Athletics Control Board and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.