Shippen, John
1879-1968 · Contribution: 1896-1960
Golfer
Early American golf professional; the first American-born and first African American golf professional to play in a U.S. Open (1896), and long-time professional at the Black-owned Shady Rest club
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1879, Washington, D.C.
- Active since
- 1896
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- First American-born golf professional to play in a U.S. Open
Impact on the world
Shippen was present at the birth of American professional golf as its first home-grown pro, and no other African American would play in the U.S. Open until Ted Rhodes in 1948.
Sources
- USGA
1 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
Rhodes, Ted
1913-1969
Pioneering African American professional golfer; dominant on the all-Black United Golfers Association (UGA) tour and an early challenger of the PGA's whites-only membership clause
Sifford, Charlie
1922-2015
First Black member of the PGA Tour; first Black golfer to win a PGA Tour event
Elder, Lee
1934-2021
Professional golfer; the first Black golfer to compete in the Masters Tournament (1975)
Gregory, Ann
1912-1990
Pioneering African American amateur golfer; the first Black woman to play in a national championship conducted by the United States Golf Association (1956)