(JULY 27) In 1978, there was
a lot of excitement about female boxers not being allowed to
compete in AAU Boxing tournaments. Most people wouldn't have
known about this important moment in the sport if it weren't for
"Bill Dickson," the father of women's boxing. Before he passed
away, he drove to Vancouver, Washington with his wife and met me
in a hotel room. During this meeting, he gave me boxes of
genuine historical documents that he had collected while
organizing numerous fights in the 1970s and 1980s featuring
female professional boxers, including myself on many of those
events.
Within the boxes of history of not only female and men’s boxing,
that contained original programs, contracts of fights, receipts
of fighters eating at the hotels, personal minutes of
discussions of women’s boxing about how to rate women in the
sport, and numerous historical documents that one would not
locate simply in a archive of newspapers.
In my first episode, I want to share what's inside one of the
folders that only a handful of people in the sport knew existed.
This folder holds important documents about the historic event
on May 12, 1978, when female boxers were finally allowed to
compete in an AAU Amateur boxing tournament.
![](../images2024temp/aau11program-wban-has-original-program.jpg)
No, there were no TV
crews from all over the world, national TV, and very little
local coverage considering that on May 12, 1978, was the first
AAU sanctioned amateurs women's bouts in the world.
Reported in the St. Paul Sunday
Pioneer Press, in the Sports section under, "Female boxer makes
history" page 3. by Pat Thompson, staff writer, May 14, 1978. An
excerpt of the article that was written:
"Claire Buckner, a St. Paul mother of three, made Minnesota
amateur boxing history the other night with her crisp left jabs
and power right hand thrust. The 24-year-old Theater Arts major
at the University of Minnesota became Minnesota's first AAU
woman champion in a four-bout card held Friday night at Bierman
Building."
![](../images2024temp/aau05121978-results-of-first-two-aau-fights-grassroots.jpg)
The article went on to state that
this opening bout was billed the "World's First Women's Amateur
Boxing Championships". [It should be noted that there were
several female amateur bouts on this date].
But this history-first amateur boxing event for females that
took place on May 12, 1978, did not come about without it's
struggles!
These women who had never been recognized by anyone up to this
point--- buried in the true history of women's boxing had a
fight "outside the ring" before ever making it "inside" that
squared circle.
![](../images2024temp/aau040819783grassroots-episode1-2.jpg)
Little did these
female boxers know that the AAU would block this bout, and
Kaufman and Marcolt were not allowed to participate in the
competition that following day. The women's boxing organization
which at that time was called the University of Minneapolis
Women's boxing club was furious, and they let it be known to the
media. [below are letters that was within the AAU folder]
![](../images2024temp/aau04081978grassroots-wont-give-four-minutes.jpg)
In the Rapid City
Journal, dated Saturday, April 8, 1978, page 8, in the Sports
Section.....the article read, "Female Boxers Bitter" it read as
follows:
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A group of frustrated female boxers and
their backers, prevented from appearing on Friday's state AAU
boxing card, have been told they can have their own bouts to
determine state champions in May. However, the boxers and Bill
Paul, their promoter, are still bitter and plan to protest. "All
we asked for was four minutes on the card," said Paul, who
wanted Joan Marcolt, St. Paul, and Debbie Kaufman, Minneapolis,
to fight at Anoka's Fred Moore junior high school for the state
female bantamweight championship.
By April 20, 1978, there were some negotiations between the
Women's boxer's association and the AAU director and that it
appeared that the women would be sanctioned by the AAU for this
event.
![](../images2024temp/aau05-12-1978-female-aau-boxers-on-card-grassroots.jpg)
In it's finale, the
history-first amateur female boxing tournament did take place on
May 12, 1978, the following listed that day:
flyweights Mary Byrne, of Bloomington, and Karin Schoen, of St.
Louis Park; and bantamweights Anita Howard and Debbie Kauffman,
of Minneapolis; and featherweights Claire Buckner, of St. Paul,
and Natalie Onefeather, of Minneapolis; heavyweights Laurie
Dinneen, of St. Paul and Kathy Hetterick, of Edina. There
was also an exhibition bout between Barb Drew of Minnepolis and
Sue Carson, of St. Louis Park.
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