PROFILE AMERICA

July 10, 2008

Arthur Ashe

Thursday, July 10th. One of the more remarkable figures in U.S. sports was born 65 years ago today in Richmond, Virginia — Arthur Ashe. His exceptional abilities on the tennis court were evident in high school and he went on to compile a long list of firsts as an African- American player. During his playing career, Ashe won 33 titles, including the Wimbledon men’s singles. He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and helped create inner city tennis programs for youth. A blood transfusion during heart surgery infected him with the HIV virus, and he died of pneumonia at the age of 49. More than 11 million people in the U.S. play tennis, including 3 million age 7 to 17

You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.