At 81 years old, tennis icon Billie Jean King is adding a new chapter to her already monumental life: finishing the college degree she started over 60 years ago. King is currently enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA), pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History, the same major she declared when she left the school in 1964 to chase her dream of becoming the world’s number one tennis player. Her return to education is driven by a lifelong passion for history, which she believes is essential for shaping the future, stating, “The more you know about history, the more you know about yourself.” Maintaining a busy travel schedule, King is completing her coursework remotely and is on track to graduate in the spring of 2026, proving that lifelong learning is the ultimate path to personal freedom and continuous growth.
The History Major: A Foundation for Activism
Billie Jean King’s decision to return to her original major, History, is deeply connected to her decades-long advocacy for social change and gender equality. For her, history is not a static subject but a vital tool for understanding cyclical struggles.
King believes that understanding history has been crucial to her success in leadership, including her role in creating women’s professional tennis and campaigning for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972—a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs. In fact, she is now earning credits by working with incarcerated students who are also studying for their degrees through Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative. By diving back into historical texts, particularly the stories of women who survived in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, King is reinforcing her conviction that everyone possesses a form of power and that knowledge is key to empowerment.
Logistics of an Octogenarian Student
Despite being an octogenarian (she will turn 82 in November 2025) and maintaining a demanding global travel schedule, King has successfully integrated her academic pursuits into her life through modern learning methods.
King is taking her classes remotely, a necessity given her continuous travel and commitments across the globe. This remote arrangement, coupled with one-on-one meetings with her professors, allows her to manage her studies effectively while continuing her advocacy work. She remains highly active, saying she feels “fantastic” because she hits tennis balls “all the time.” She is studying subjects like U.S. and Latin American history, demonstrating her commitment to a broad understanding of the past. Her determination to finish what she started in 1964 serves as a powerful inspiration, showing that goals and continuous learning should not be bound by age.
