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Tennis Great Billie Jean King to Receive Barnard Medal of Distinction
updated
05.08.08
New York,
NY — Billie Jean King, tennis great, living legend, and
social activist, will accept the Barnard Medal of Distinction—Barnard
College's highest honor—at the College's 116th commencement
ceremony, to be held on May 20 at 10 a.m. in upper Manhattan.
King will be honored for her inspiring work and accomplishments
as a pioneering athlete and champion for social equality.
"Ms.
King's career is nothing short of incredible — she inspires
women and men, athletes and non-athletes, activists and entrepreneurs,
alike. Her penchant for smashing records and stereotypes teaches
all of us that no goal is ever out of reach," said Judith
R. Shapiro, president of Barnard College. "We are
honored and pleased to present Ms. King with the Barnard Medal
of Distinction."
One of
the most illustrious and celebrated tennis players in history,
King is credited with spearheading the women's movement in
tennis and is often recognized as the single most influential
player in popularizing professional tennis in the United States.
King has won thirty-nine Grand Slam titles, in singles, doubles
and mixed doubles, including a record twenty titles at Wimbledon.
In 1973, King empowered women and educated men by defeating
male opponent Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments
in sports history — a match known as the "Battle
of the Sexes."
Ten years
later, King officially retired from tennis, but never truly
hung up her racket. She founded the Women's Tennis Association
and the Women's Sports Foundation, and co-founded World
TeamTennis, the groundbreaking co-ed professional tennis
league. King has coached Olympic and Fed Cup teams, leading
the U.S. squad to four Olympic medals and the 1976, 1996,
1999 and 2000 Fed Cup titles.
King has
received countless honors and awards. In 1990, she was named
one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th
Century" by Life magazine, and in 1994, she was
ranked No. 5 on Sports Illustrated's "Top 40 Athletes"
list. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall
of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame,
and the Court of Champions at the USTA National Tennis
Center.
King is
an advocate for LGBT rights and a staunch supporter of women
in sports. She currently serves on the boards of both the
Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Women's Sports Foundation.
Last year, King launched GreenSlam, an organization
that challenges the sports industry to be more proactive about
supporting the environment and adopting green initiatives.
Joining
Ms. King at Barnard's commencement will be Illana Kloss,
Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of World TeamTennis.
An accomplished professional tennis player in her own right,
Kloss was recently named "Sports Business Woman of the
Year" by the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, and inducted
into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Commack, New
York.
In addition
to honoring King, Barnard will celebrate the achievements
of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and editor-in-chief of The
New Yorker David Remnick, and lifelong Harlem advocate
and chief organizer of Harlem's Head Start programs Dr.
Thelma Davidson Adair. New York City mayor Michael
Bloomberg will address the approximately 590 members of
the Class of 2008. All four honorees will be awarded the Barnard
Medal of Distinction.
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