University of Massachusets Athletics
Billie Jean King UMass Commencement Speaker
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April 14, 2000
AMHERST, Mass. - Billie Jean King, one of the most celebrated tennis players in history and a long-time champion for social change, will deliver the main address at the 130th Commencement of the University of Massachusetts, to be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sun. May 21, in Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Approximately 4,000 undergraduates are candidates for bachelor's degrees.
During her playing career, King was ranked the top tennis player in the world five times, and was listed among the top 10 players in the world for a total of 17 years. She won a record 20 Wimbledon titles (six of them in singles) and 12 Grand Slam singles titles. A four-time winner of the U.S. Open, King also won both the French Open and Australian Open, and holds a total of 71 career singles titles. In 1971, she was the first woman athlete to win more than $100,000 in any sport. Widely recognized for spearheading the women's movement in tennis, in 1973 she defeated Bobby Riggs in the celebrated "Battle of the Sexes."
In 1990, Life magazine named King as one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century." In 1994, she ranked No.5 on Sports Illustrated's list of "Top 40 Athletes."
A member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the National Women's Hall of Fame, King is currently a director and official spokesperson for WORLD TEAMTENNIS.
The University will hold a separate Commencement ceremony for nearly 1,300 master's and doctoral degree candidates at 10:30 a.m. Sat. May 20 in the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. Charlena Seymour, dean of the Graduate School, will offer a welcome. Chancellor David K. Scott and University President William Bulger will address the candidates.
Also on May 20, approximately 120 students will receive associate of science degrees from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. The ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. Keynote speaker is Jeffrey B. LaFleur, 1988 Stockbridge alumnus and executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association (CCGA), one of the oldest agricultural trade associations in the U.S.
Other events that will occur on Sat. May 20 include: Phi Beta Kappa Installation, Campus Center Auditorium, 2:30 p.m., School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, Fine Arts Center, 3 p.m., and ROTC Joint Commissioning Ceremony, Bowker Auditorium, 5 p.m.