The United States Tennis Association honored FAMU grad Althea Gibson, this past Monday, with a statue at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gibson's became the first African American woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. national title in 1957.
"For all the Rattlers out there, it's a special day for all of us," said FAMU President Larry Robinson, who was on hand to witness the statue’s unveiling. "She's a pioneer. She is a giant; not just in women's tennis. She opened the door to Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena. It's just phenomenal to think about what this Rattler did for the history of tennis and present day tennis in this nation and around the world."
Tennis great Billie Jean Kingwas among those paying tribute to Gibson.
"This woman is extraordinary. She deserves this attention and she'll inspire. If people really learn her story," King said, "It'll inspire them to do great things with their lives."
Gibson attended FAMU on a full athletic scholarship in 1949. She was the first African American woman to appear on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine.
In all, Gibson racked up 11 grand slam tennis titles and when she was done with that, she went on to play women's professional golf.