Althea Gibson, the first black woman to win a major, has passed away at the age of 76. From ESPN.com:

What An Amazing Life!

She was phenomenal. That she played competitive golf, too, often goes overlooked...

On the news this morning, one of the anchors suggested that they rename Louis Armstrong Stadium to Althea Gibson Stadium, which I actually think is a really great idea. Not sure that it would ever happen, but you never know. Does anyone know why the stadium was named after Armstrong initially? Is there a tennis connection that isn't obvious?

Althea was a great champion, a great pioneer, and a presence in tennis that will be missed.

I completely agree with renaming Armstrong stadium, particularly because of Althea's New York roots. If nothing else, maybe the trophy given out to the women's champion at the US Open can be called the Gibson cup or something.

While I was saddened by the loss, I was gratified to see Althea given such broad notice in the media over the past 24 hours. You can be sure that, just as she paved the way for the Williams sisters, their megastardom helped rescue Gibson's legacy. It's amazing to note that Venus, for all her amazing accomplishments, has almost exactly equalled Gibson's Grand Slam mark of two Wimbledons and two US Opens - in consecutive years! I suppose the French Open is in Venus's future now?

I agree with you guys that the stadium should be renamed to honor Althea.

I remember when Zena Garrison made it to the finals at Wimbledon, there was a lot of attention given to Althea Gibson, for what seemed like the first time since her retirement from tennis. That coverage focused on her remarkable accomplishments but also brought to light her financial difficulties. It was heartening that in the weeks & years that followed, Miss Gibson recieved donations--often from strangers who respected what the pioneer had accomplished--that made her last years a bit easier. If you ever have the opportunity to hear a recording of her 1959 interview with Edward R. Murrow, it is worth listening to. She recounts her life away from tennis when she worked a variety of jobs, including toiling on a chicken farm, a warehouse, and a tool-making plant. Perhaps most telling were her comments about how she responded to the jeers and racist comments aimed at her: tennis, she said, is a game played by ladies and gentlemen and she would respond as a lady.

Agree the idea of renaming the stadium in her honor is a good one.

~Adam

I remember watching Althea as a kid compete on the ABC show (I can't remember the name) that had athletes from different sports compete in different events. She was much older than the other girls, but she had a big smile and kept me watching.

I also remember Chris Evert's story about Althea several years ago at Wimbledon. Back in the early 70s, Chrissie received a default in the final of a Slims event when Kerry Reid injured her finger in practice. The tournament director was at a loss, so Althea agreed to play Chrissie so the fans wouldn't be disappointed. Chrissie said she still had her huge serve but she ended up giving her points to make it entertaining for the fans.