The Omaha guide., 1957-08-30


airport 10 wish her luck. When
she returend a winner. Idlewild
was awash with people. Countless
| acouaintances suddenly remen-
bered how they had helped her
in the past, and crowded close %
share her success. The big city.
which had offered Althea's par
ents a cramped railroad flat n
which to raise their children, hon
ored her with a ticker-tape par
ade. And people breathlessls
wanted to know how IL had felt
to shake hands with Queen Eliza
beth at Wimbledon and what they
had said to each other fThe
Queen: 1T was very enjoyable
match, but you must have been
very hot on the court" Aithea: Il
hope it wasn't as hot in the royal
box.
During a lunch given her by
New York's Mayor Wagner at the
Waldorf. Althea managed TO make
a speech. God grant that | wear
this crown I won with dignity
~she said. Il just can't describe
the Joy in my heart But she was
also learning the rough side ef
being on top. No matter what
accomplishments you make she
says, somebody helps you. Peo
pie saw me going up there. and
now they want to ride on the
wagon. Whenever I hear anyone
call me Champ I think there's
something behind 1t.
THAT GIBSON GIRL GAL 2
Though she IS near the top OF
a remarkable uphill career, sus-
picion still often lowers over the
/ champs warm. infrequent smile.
It is only half an hour by subway
from Harlem to Forest Hills. anG
in many ways Althea is still close
to home.
Fun, Fun. Fun. Althea Gibson
was only one year old in 1928
when her parents decided thai
Manhattan's swarming West 143rd
Street offered more opportunity
than their cotton-poor farm in Sill
yer S. G. in New York, her faith
er went TO work in a garage1 The
Gibsons' block between Lenox and
Seventh Avenues was a play
street. and in summer the while
lines for paddle tennis and shnf-
fleboard slid out over the baking
ward 0 na basketball tea mcalled
kids. An structor-supervisor
sent up by the Police Athletic
League divided his time as the
situation demanged-part coach
and part friendly cop.
/ Althea's sister Millie lshe has
three sisters and a brother) re-
calls: "Althea was out in the
street all the time. We used to
have to drag her back into the
house. When other girls were
putting on lipstick, she was play
ing stickball. When she got a
whipping, she never cried. She
just stood there and took it." At
P.S. 1876, AltheaN was q chronic
truant; she played hockey and
| played softball with the boys in
Central Park. She also played for
ward na basketball team called
The Mysterious Five which
practiced at the 134th Street Boys
Club and scheduled as many as
four games a week with local in
dustrial clubs. Il just wanted to
play, play, play says Althoa
MY mother would send me out
with money for bread and I'd be
out from morning to dark-and
not bring home the bread. l had
fun, fun, funl
Now that the world has bright
ened for her, Harlem's harsh out
lines occasionally soften for the
reminiscent tournament traveller,
Il remember you could get fish
and chips for 15c and soda at Sc a
quart. And there we're sweet po-
tatoes-we called them 'mickeys
that we cooked at a fire over
milk crates We'd climb over the
fence to a playground and we'd
swing way up. two on a swing.
And we'd sneak in the movies. Ii
there was any poverty, / wasn't
aware of It How could you think
Of It when you could get soda for
five cents7s
chock Full o. Cuts. By 1871,
when she was 13, Althea was
ready to graduate from paddle
tennis. The PAL instructor that
year was an unemployed musician
named Buddy Walker. and Buddy
was impressed with the gang.y
youngsters ferocious skill. He
went TO friend named Van Hou-
ton "a tennis buff who liked 20
boast that he was the only self
employed racket stringer in Har
lem) bought Althea a pair Of
secondhand rackets, and put her
10 work practicing against the
wall Of handball court. A few
weeks later he took her uptown
to some public courts. and her