Tennis Serves Up Tributes to Honor Gibson

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 24th August 2013

Tennis Serves Up Tributes to Honor Gibson |

Tennis great Althea Gibson to be honored on the grounds of the US Open, as Billie Jean King and Katrina Adams will join the US Postal Service pay tribute at a 10 a.m. First-Day-of-Issuance Forever stamp dedication ceremony honoring tennis legend Althea Gibson as the 36th inductee into the Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamp series.

The event, free and open to the public, will take place near the plaque honoring Gibson that is located at the south entrance of the U.S. Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Court of Champions.

Beginning August 23, customers may purchase the Althea Gibson Forever stamp at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide.

The Postal Service will also honor Gibson at a special 10 a.m. stamp dedication ceremony Sat., Aug. 24 at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex, located at the Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ.

“I’m excited that the Postal Service is releasing a Forever stamp that honors the legacy of my friend, Althea Gibson,” said King. “Her achievements served as a catalyst for equality in sports and in life and I am honored to participate in this historic event.”

As the first African-American tennis player to win one of the four major singles tournaments, Althea Gibson (1927–2003) helped integrate her sport at the height of the civil rights movement. She twice won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships (now known as the U.S. Open) and became the top-ranked player in the world.

King and Adams will join U.S. Postal Service Judicial Officer William Campbell and U.S. Tennis Association Director at Large Chanda Rubin and a host of other professional athletes and coaches in the dedication ceremony.

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ShootingTennis says:

August 23, 2013 at 12:35 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: Tennis Serves Up Tributes to Honor Gibson: Tennis great Althea Gibson to be honored on the grounds of t… http://t.co/Kg…