Jerry Seltzer

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jerry Seltzer
Born
Gerald Edwin Seltzer

(1932-06-03)June 3, 1932
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 2019(2019-07-01) (aged 87)
Sonoma, California, U.S.
OccupationPromoter
Known forroller derby
Parent

Gerald Edwin "Jerry" Seltzer (June 3, 1932 – July 1, 2019) was the second and final owner of the original Roller Derby league. The league and the sport of roller derby were created in 1935 in Chicago by Leo Seltzer, Jerry's father. Jerry assumed ownership of the league in 1959 and ran it until its demise in 1973.

Early life and education

Seltzer attended Stanford University in 1950 and then enrolled at Northwestern University in 1951.[1] He joined the United States Army in March 1954 and went to basic training at Fort Ord, California.[2] As a private first class, he was assigned to Austria, and served in the 430th Counterintelligence Corps detachment. He received a bachelor of science in business administration in 1956 after a stint in the army.[3]

Roller Derby

At one time the league was broadcast on 120 television stations in the United States and Canada, and filled Madison Square Garden, the Oakland Coliseum (34,000, 1971) and Chicago White Sox Park (50,114, Sept 15, 1972).[4]

In 1959, Seltzer moved the operation to the

Joanie Weston, and Ann Calvello
.

Oakland Seals

In 1970, Seltzer attempted to buy the struggling

Oakland A's. Finley had little luck convincing Bay Area residents that the Seals were a worthwhile attraction, and the team pulled up stakes in 1976, moving to Cleveland, Ohio and later amalgamating with the Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars
).

BASS Tickets

In the 1970s, Seltzer co-founded Bay Area Seating Service (BASS) Tickets, a San Francisco Bay Area computerized ticket service. From 1983 to 1993, he was a vice president of sales and marketing for

Sonoma Valley Film Festival (now Sonoma Filmfest) and served on a number of community boards, including the Bay Area American Red Cross, and he helped produce the 30th anniversary special for Cecil Williams Glide church. He later[when?] was employed by Brown Paper Tickets
in sales.

Later life

As of mid-2010, Seltzer was serving as an advisor to gotdibbs.com and working as a volunteer consultant to new amateur roller derby leagues.

Seltzer said that his father had always wanted roller derby to be a legitimate sport, and to be in the

Olympic sport.[5] He is known as "The Commissioner" by some participants in modern roller derby.[6]

Seltzer

blogged about his involvement in Roller Derby and the role his father played.[7]

Death

Seltzer died July 1, 2019, of pulmonary fibrosis.[8][6]

He is buried at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, California.

References

  1. Citizen-News
    , Hollywood, California, volume 47, number 191, November 9, 1951, page 19. (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Pfc. Gerald Selter of Encino Arrives at Base in Germany", The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet, Van Nuys, California, 43rd year, number 77, February 6, 1955, page 8-A. (subscription required). Note, "Selter" [sic] is misspelled in the title.
  3. ^ "Northwestern Cites Three Valley Men", The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet, Van Nuys, California, 44th year, number 153, June 19, 1956, page 4. (subscription required)
  4. ^ "Roller Derby Staff Bios". Roller Derby: The Musical. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  5. ^ "Letter of Support from Jerry Seltzer". August 10, 2007. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Charrier, Emily (4 July 2019). "Jerry Seltzer has died, but he lived a million lives". Sonoma Index Tribune. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  7. ^ "The Blog and Memoirs of Jerry Seltzer". RollerDerbyJesus. 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  8. ^ "Jerry Seltzer, Chicago Roller Derby pioneer, dead at 87". ABC7 Chicago. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Seltzer&oldid=1189428386"