LOS ANGELES, Calif. – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the graduation of Bruin great Arthur Ashe, the UCLA Powell Library will be displaying the Arthur Ashe: Athlete, Activist, Bruin exhibit from April 15 to June 30 in the Powell Rotunda. 

A dominant figure on and off the court, Ashe ('66) became the first African-American selected to the United States Davis Cup team.  The three-time All-American won both the NCAA singles title and doubles title (with partner Ian Crookendon) in 1965, which helped UCLA win the NCAA team title that year.  Professionally, Ashe went on to win more than fifty titles, including five Grand Slams (three singles titles and two doubles titles).  In 1976, Ashe peaked at No. 2 in the ATP World Rankings.  Ashe was inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame in 1983 and into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame the following year.  On Monday, Pac-12 Networks named Ashe to the Pac-12 Men's Tennis All-Century Team alongside fellow Bruin Jimmy Connors.      

Ashe's civic and social activism far transcended sports.  Both during and after his playing career, Ashe worked to raise awareness of and protest against apartheid in South Africa and the U.S. policy toward Haitian refugees.  He also used his celebrity status to educate the public about AIDS and to address health care deficiencies in urban minority populations.

UCLA Library Special Collections has assembled an impressive array of artifacts, letters, and photographs from the University archives, that of the LA Times, and two photographic collections: Arthur Ashe as an Amateur by Rowland Scherman and Out of the Shadows by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, photographer and wife of the noted tennis legend.

For more information on the exhibit, click here.