Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. is born in Richmond to Arthur Sr.
and Mattie C.
Ashe.
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Ashe's mother dies of complications from surgery.
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After learning to play tennis in Richmond's Brookfield
Park, Ashe attracts the attention of Ronald Charity, a
part-time tennis coach. Charity arranges for Ashe to spend
the summer at the Lynchburg home of Dr. Walter Johnson, who
coached Althea Gibson.
Johnson becomes Ashe's
mentor.
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Ashe becomes the first African-American to play in the Maryland boys'
championships. It is his first integrated
event.
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Tired of traveling far from segregated Richmond to
compete against whites, Ashe mulls a move. When a St. Louis
tennis official offers room in his home, Ashe accepts. He
enrolls at Sumner High School for his senior
year.
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As a sophomore at UCLA, Ashe is featured for the second
time in SI's
Faces in the Crowd. He first appeared in the
Dec. 12,
1960 issue.
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Ashe becomes the first African- American player named to the U.S.
Davis Cup team. He plays on the team from 1963
to 1970 and again in 1975, 1976 and
1978.
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Ashe wins the NCAA men's singles championship, leading
UCLA to the team
title.
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Ashe graduates from UCLA with a degree in business
administration.
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Ashe helps create the USTA National Junior Tennis League, a
program designed to develop inner-city tennis
players.
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 Still an amateur, Ashe defeats Tom Okker of the Netherlands
to win the U.S. Open. He is the only African-American man to win the
title.
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Ashe wins the Australian Open, the second of his three
Grand Slam singles
titles.
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Want to learn more about Arthur Ashe? Click here for a suggested reading list.
Research by Alec
Morrison
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