Ora Washington
Encyclopedia
Ora Mae Washington was an American
athlete from the Germantown
section of Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, known as the "Queen of Tennis".
's national singles title eight times in nine years between 1929–1937 and 12 straight double championships.
She played basketball first in 1930 with the Germantown Hornets where her 22-1 record earned her the national female title. Later, playing with the Philadelphia Tribunes from 1932–1942, she was the team's center, leading scorer, and coach. The "Tribune Girls" won 11 straight Women’s Colored Basketball World’s Championships. Washington was said to be "the best Colored player in the world."
Unable to compete against the top white tennis player of the time, Helen Wills Moody
, because Moody refused to play her, she retired from sports in the mid-1940s. For the remainder of her life, she supported herself as a housekeeper. She died in 1971 in Germantown and was buried in her Virginia hometown.
In the mid-1980s, she was inducted to Temple University
's Sports Hall of Fame
.
A state historical marker stands at the location of the Colored YWCA she taught and played at, at 6128 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, now home to Settlement Music School.
In 2009, Washington was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
, located in Knoxville, Tennessee
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete from the Germantown
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
section of Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, known as the "Queen of Tennis".
Life
In professional tennis, she won the American Tennis AssociationAmerican Tennis Association
----The American Tennis Association is based in Largo, Maryland, and is the oldest African-American sports organization in the United States. The core of the ATA's modern mission continues to be promoting tennis as a sport for black people and developing junior tennis players, but the ATA...
's national singles title eight times in nine years between 1929–1937 and 12 straight double championships.
She played basketball first in 1930 with the Germantown Hornets where her 22-1 record earned her the national female title. Later, playing with the Philadelphia Tribunes from 1932–1942, she was the team's center, leading scorer, and coach. The "Tribune Girls" won 11 straight Women’s Colored Basketball World’s Championships. Washington was said to be "the best Colored player in the world."
Unable to compete against the top white tennis player of the time, Helen Wills Moody
Helen Wills Moody
Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:...
, because Moody refused to play her, she retired from sports in the mid-1940s. For the remainder of her life, she supported herself as a housekeeper. She died in 1971 in Germantown and was buried in her Virginia hometown.
In the mid-1980s, she was inducted to Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
's Sports Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.
A state historical marker stands at the location of the Colored YWCA she taught and played at, at 6128 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, now home to Settlement Music School.
In 2009, Washington was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
, located in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
.
Further reading
- Wiggins, David K. (editor) Out of the Shadows: A Biographical History of African American Athletes. University of Arkansas Press, 2006.