Tennis star Billie Jean King receives her degree this month, 61 years after enrolling in college.
Sydney Page
In 1961, Billie Jean King enrolled at what was then Los Angeles State College, but left after three years to pursue professional tennis.
She went on to become one of the sport’s most iconic players, reaching No. 1 in the world ranking and winning 39 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She also became a staunch advocate for gender equality and made history as the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Despite her long list of accolades, the unfinished degree bothered her. On May 18, at age 82, King walked across the stage at California State University at Los Angeles and collected the Bachelor of Arts in history she had begun more than six decades earlier.
