Ashe, Arthur

Impact on the world

Won the first U.S. Open as an amateur in 1968, the Australian Open in 1970, and became the first Black man to win the Wimbledon men's singles title in 1975, defeating top-seeded Jimmy Connors; he later became a prominent civil rights and AIDS awareness activist and authored a three-volume history of Black athletes.

Life & background

A UCLA graduate, Ashe won the inaugural U.S. Open as an amateur in 1968 and the Australian Open in 1970, before becoming the first Black man to win Wimbledon's men's singles title in 1975 with a four-set upset of top-seeded Jimmy Connors. He represented the U.S. on the Davis Cup team across an American-longevity-record 15-year span, and after retiring became a significant civil rights and AIDS awareness activist, authoring 'A Hard Road to Glory,' a three-volume history documenting the achievements of African American athletes.

Sources

1. Washington University Black Champions collection; Howard University Magazine (20 Defining Moments)