Tenley Albright Biography - Began Skating, Developed Polio, Won First U.s. Women's Title, Entered Radcliffe College - CONTACT INFORMATION

American figure skater

A pioneer on and off the ice, Tenley Albright was the first American woman to win a gold medal in ladies singles figure skating at the Olympics and the first American woman to win a world championship. Albright's strengths were her figures, and graceful free skates. She was as technically proficient as women figure skaters were in her day, and her success marked the beginning of America's powerful presence in figure skating. After her skating career ended, Albright attended Harvard Medical School and became a surgeon.

Albright was born on July 18, 1935, in Newton Center, Massachusetts, the only daughter of Hollis and Elin Albright. Albright's father was a surgeon, and the family was one of privilege. Her father was a lover of sports, and encouraged his daughter. Albright began skating when she was eight or nine years old on a backyard skating rink her father created for her because of her interest in skating.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: 25 Shattuck St., #316, Boston, MA 02115-6092. Phone: 617-247-8202.