1954 - Althea Gibson

By dbloom
  • Barbers fired for not serving black sailors

    The Navy fires thirty white barbers for refusing to serve black sailors at the Jacksonville FL naval Station.
  • This is your Life: Alice Marble

    AG is a guest. see transcript
  • AG sings at Lincoln University

    The College Women's Extravanganza program was called Around the World.
  • Army enlistment

    AG explored entering the Women's Army Corp as a 2nd LT in the spring of 1954.
    see Eaton letters
  • Annie Lee Moss investigated by McCarthy

    Annie Lee Moss was a black communications clerk in the US Army Signal Corps in the Pentagon and alleged member of the American Communist Part and was questioned by United States Senator Joseph McCarthy in his role as the chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.The highly publicized case was damaging to McCarthy's popularity and influence.
  • Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

    A landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality.
  • Ralph Bunche Loyalty Hearing

    Informants accused Ralph Bunche of being a communist. He was investigated through a loyalty hearing and cleared of the accusations.
  • New York State Women's Tennis Championship - Pelham Manor, NY

    Women's singles:
    1. Bye
    2. AG d. Mrs. Raymond Bush, 6-0, 6-2
    3. AG d. Alice Netter; 6-3, 6-0
    F. AG d. Isabel Troccole: 10-8, 6-3.
    Ladies doubles:
    F.Troccle/Norma Laidlow dd. AG/Joan Piken; 6-0, 2-6, 6-1
    Daily News 07 July; Democrat & Chronicle 08 July; Philadelphia Inquirer 12 July; Atlanta Daily World 12 July; Brooklyn Daily Eagle 07 July.
    May be first tournament under Llewellyn as coach.
  • National Clay Court Championship-River Forest Club, Chicago IL

    Women's singles:
    1. Lois Felix d. AG; 6-1, 6-0
    Ladies doubles:
    S. AG/Ethel Norton d. Sara Mae Turner/Karol Fageros; 6-1, 6-1
    F. Connolly/Hart d. AG/EN; 6-3, 6-2
    Hartford Courant 19 July; Chicago Tribune 14 July, Courier News Journal, AP wire, 19 July.
  • Pennsylvania & Eastern States Women's Tournament (54th annual)- Haverford, PA at Merion Cricket Club

    Women's singles:
    1. AG d. Mrs. Daniel B. Chance; 6-1, 6-1
    2. Janet Hopps d. AG; 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
    Women's Doubles:
    2. AG/Nell Hopman d. Hopps/Joan Rossdilley; 7-5, 6-2
    Q. AG/NH d. Lois Felix/Katherine Hubbell; 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
    S. LB/DuPont d. AG/NH; 6-2, 6-2.
    Mixed Doubles:
    2. AG/Don Fontana d. Wickel, Mrs. Harry Hoffman; 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
    Q. LB/Straight Clark d. DF/AG; 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
    Philadelphia Inquirer 20,23,24 July
  • Red Rose Tournament - Lancaster, PA (16th annual)

    Ladies singles:
    1. AG d. Edith Cressman; 6-2, 6-0
    Q. AG d. Lottie Buckley; 6-0, 6-1
    S. AG d. Mary Albright; 6-0, 6-3
    F. AG d. Betty Smith; 6-1, 6-1
    Ladies doubles:
    S.AG/Mary Kay Morris d. Patsy Rice/Nancy Paden; 6-1, 6-1
    F. AG/MKM d. Mary Albright/Betty Smith; 6-1, 6-1
    Lancaster Intelligencer Journal 29&31 July; Lancaster New Era 30 July; Lancaster Sunday News 01 August
  • Eastern Grass Court Tournament - Orange, NJ

    Singles:
    1. AG d. Carolyn Liguri; 6-1, 6-3
    2. AG d. Barbara Davidson; 6-2. 7-5
    Q. Helen Fletcher d. AG; 6-4. 6-4
    Phil Inquirer 3 Aug, Herald News 6 Aug., Paterson News (NJ) 7 Aug, Hartford Courant 7 Aug.
  • American Tennis Association Tournament - Bethune Cookman, Daytona FL (37th annual)

    Women's singles:
    1. AG d. Richardeen Ellis; 6-1, 6-2
    2. AG d. Margaret Peters; 6-1, 6-1
    F. AG d. Ivy Cover Ramsey; 6-1, 6-0
    Mixed Doubles:
    AG/Whirlwind d. Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Vaughn; 6-3, 7-5
    Atlanta Daily World 20 Aug, Alabama Tribune 27 Aug.
  • National Tennis Tournament (67th)-Forest Hills

    Women's singles:
    1-Helen Pastall Perez d. AG; 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
    Cleveland Call and Post 11 Sep
    Men's Singles
    2- Tony Trabert d. Hubert Eaton, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 (NYTimes)
  • Marian Anderson signs contract with Metropolitan Opera

    The American contralto becomes the first black to be a lead singer for the NYC company. She will sing the lead role of fortune teller Ulrica in Verdi's opera, The Masked Ball, during the 1955 Met season.