Ashe's legacy attracts honors, contributions - late tennis star Arthur Ashe

Jet, March 8, 1993

Even in death, the work that the late Arthur Ashe left unfinished continues to gain support.

A 68-year-old grandmother from Brooklyn who is battling terminal lung cancer recently donated $400,000 to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis to start a campaign for an AIDS research fund in Arthur Ashe's name.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, is a retired secretary raising two grandchildren. Her attorney noted that the money was a large portion of money she received as a settlement of a medical malpractice claim.

In another tribute to the great humanitarian and athlete, women's tennis legend Billie Jean King recently purchased a Sports Illustrated poster of Ashe for $10,300 during an auction in connection with the Virginia Slims competition at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion.

King reportedly had a Team Tennis representative bid for her at the silent auction which raised upwards of $61,000 for the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS, Inc.

Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO posthumously awarded Ashe the 1993 humanitarian award, citing his life-long dedication to civil rights and his recent struggle to help AIDS victims. It will be presented during the group's national conference in Washington, D.C., in July.

Ashe died Feb. 6 at the age of 49 from pneumonia, a complication of AIDS (Jet, March 1). Contributions to the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS may be sent to 100 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, N.Y., 10017.