For Tennis Now | @Itenisi_Manje | Saturday, October 5, 2024
Photo credits: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA
Billie Jean King he is a civil rights warrior and Hall of Fame inductee.
Now, King is an iconic figure on campus.
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Cal State LA honored a beloved alumna Billie Jean King with the unveiling of the statue on the lawn outside the Physical Education Building e Billie Jean King Sports Complex last week.
One of the greatest tennis players of all time, King’s impact extended beyond athletics as he boldly used his voice to advocate for gender equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and other social justice issues. The king, his wife Ilana Klossand their good friend and former professional colleague Rosie Casals are among the most ardent fans of the Golden Eagles athletes.
“I am very honored,” said Nkosi. “This statue in our center will unite us forever. It reminds me that our heritage is not important. Your legacy is what other people say about you, but our contributions to our communities are what will define us forever.”
A bronze statue of a celebrity sculptor Brian Hanlon honors King’s many contributions to Cal State LA and serves as an inspiration to the campus community. Made possible by the generous donations of Kloss, George and Kathy Hicker, and John Chapple.
The event drew a crowd of about 500 people, including California State University Chancellor Mildred García, CSU Board of Trustees Chair Jack B. Clarke Jr., CSU Trustee Wenda Fong, and Assemblywoman and Cal State LA alumna Wendy Carrillo.
King closed his speech to the crowd with a personal story that drew much attention from the event.
“When I left this institution in 1964 to become the number 1 tennis player in the world, I could not finish my degree,” he said. “I am happy to announce that I will be re-enrolling at Cal State LA to complete my degree. It’s not too late!”
King attended Cal State LA from 1961 to ’64 but left to focus on his tennis career. She won her first Wimbledon women’s singles title as a university student. Highlights of King’s career include 12 Grand Slam singles championships (including five Wimbledon and four US titles), 16 women’s doubles and 11 mixed doubles. King was ranked No. 1 in six of the 10 year-end polls from 1966 to 1975.
“The importance of quality education has always been important to me, and I learned a lot while at this institution,” said King. “At that time, I was very focused on being the greatest player in the world, No. We used to get $14 a day. That had to end. So, I left Cal State LA and went on a journey to improve my sport, to make a difference in the lives of others. Tennis was my field.”
Then he turned to the students and said, “It’s another thing—you have a platform that very few people have. So, use it to make this world a better place. “
King used her standing as one of the most recognizable athletes of the 1960s and 1970s to campaign tirelessly for women’s equality in sports, and in 1972 she testified before Congress on behalf of Title IX before it passed.
In 1973, King scored a victory in women’s equality when he defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” show, which was watched live by 50 million TV viewers. When he told the story to Cal State LA students before the photo was unveiled, King said his loss to Riggs went beyond sports, and that fans—both women and men—repeatedly told him that he inspired them to achieve their goals.
“Billie Jean King is the epitome of our culture of achievement and activism,” said Cal State LA President Berrenecea Johnson Eanes.
“We should all be very lucky,” said CSU Chancellor García, “to be considered a hero, a hero, and a champion, even if it’s in a small way to one person. Just imagine how rare it is to be this hero/hero and a champion among millions in many fields. That’s Billie Jean King. “
During the university’s 50th anniversary in 1997, Cal State LA and CSU awarded King an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in recognition of his athletic achievements and the distinction those achievements brought to his alma mater.
King is also the recipient of two of the United States’ highest awards. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and last week she became the first female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
For 20 years, King has hosted the Billie Jean King & Friends event at Cal State LA, which has raised more than $4.5 million for athletic scholarships.
“He embodies many of the values of Cal State LA and CSU,” Garcia said, “and he shows incredible courage in standing up for those values boldly—even in the face of criticism and adversity. In addition, he has opened the door of opportunity for many, helping to raise millions of dollars in scholarships here at this great institution, Cal State LA, his alma mater.”
