A bill to award Long Beach tennis legend Billie Jean King with the Congressional Gold Medal is heading to the White House for final approval.
Once signed by President Joe Biden, King will become the first individual female athlete awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
The bill passed the House of Representatives Tuesday with a 308-87 vote. It was supported unanimously by the Senate last May.
“This honor celebrates her extraordinary achievements & dedication to advancing equality,” Rep. Robert Garcia, a co-sponsor of the bill and former Long Beach mayor, said in a tweet.
In Long Beach, the main library on Broadway and the tennis center at Recreation Park are named after King.
The bill was introduced last September by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey on the 50th anniversary of King’s influential victory over Bobby Riggs dubbed the “Battles of the Sexes.” The contest remains the most-watched tennis match of all time.
The award, they said, is intended to honor King’s “lifetime of work fighting for Title IX, and women’s and LGBTQ+ equality on and off the tennis court.”
Previous recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal, awarded for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, include Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Joe Louis and Jesse Owens.
In 2009, King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for her work advocating for women’s rights. She was the first female athlete to receive that honor.
Born in Long Beach in 1943, King garnered 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in her career including a record 20 championships at Wimbledon.
She also played a role in the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which mandated equal funding for women’s and men’s sports programs in schools and colleges.
In a tweet, King said she was “deeply humbled and honored” to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.