Sports Spotlights

Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe is ranked among the best tennis players in the United States. He was born July 10, 1943,in Richmond, Virginia. Ashe attended Summer High School in St.Louis. Upon his graduation from High School, Ashe received a tennis scholarship to UCLA. In 1963 he was selected to play at the Davis Cup, becoming the first African American to be selected for the United States. He graduated from UCLA in 1966 with a B.A. in Business Administration. In 1975 at the age of 31, Ashe won at Wimbledon and received the ultimate ranking as the #1 tennis player in the world. He retired in 1980 after suffering a heart attack. Ashe received over 800 victories during the span of his professional tennis career, including 3 Grand Slam titles. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1993. Ashe died on February 6, 1993 from complications associated with AIDS-related pneumonia. It is believed that Ashe contracted the virus from blood transfusions that he received during heart surgery.