146:, on September 30, 1920. Her parents were Raymond and Leila (Zika) Murray, but she was raised primarily by her grandmother, Grace Jones, after her parents' divorce when she was six years old. Murray played softball as a young child and was recruited for the Russell Sporting Goods team, which won a state championship.
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and Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn, Murray became a well-known personality. Billy Bogash said of Murray, "That Gerry is the best skater in the business". Murray was one of the first
American women to sign endorsement deals, with branded hair ties and bobby pins sold at department stores. She was one of the
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Murray married two fellow roller derby skaters. The first was Paul Milane; in 1941 they had a son, Mike. After their divorce, Murray married her coach and teammate Gene Gammon, who adopted Mike. Mike Gammon grew up on the roller derby circuit and followed in his parents footsteps to become a derby
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She retired from skating in 1960, going on to own two bars and a cattle and horse ranch in
California. She returned to the track in 1975, however, skating with her son and daughter-in-law on the New York Braves of the United Banked Track Skating Association. After that league collapsed, she joined
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Murray became
Chicago's team captain in 1947. Murray was the women's captain of the New York Chiefs for many years, skating with the jersey number 22. She also ran the Chiefs' training school. Murray was famed for her scuffles with other skaters, especially "Toughie" Brasuhn, although the two were
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friends off the track. The rivalry between Murray and
Brasuhn was highly promoted in the 1940s and 1950s, and they were both well-compensated as stars. A 2014 children's picture book, "Roller Derby Rivals" by Sue Macy, tells the story of the close relationship of Murray and Brasuhn.
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skater. She played for most of her career with the New York Chiefs, becoming a popular derby star known for her glamour as well as her on-track rivalry with
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In 1938, Murray tried out for the newly formed Roller Derby and was selected as a trainee, joining a team in Texas.
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first people to become a part of the Roller Derby Hall of Fame; she was inducted in 1956.
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the reconstituted New York Chiefs in the
International Roller Skating League in 1977.
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Robert S. Cox
Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
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256:"Gerry Murray oral history with Michella M. Marino, September 14, 2011"
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Gerry Murray oral history with
Michella M. Marino, September 14, 2011
122:(September 30, 1920 – August 9, 2019) was an American
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Murray died in Des Moines on August 9, 2019, at the age of 98.
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228:"Gerry Murray, Stalwart Roller Derby Star, Dies at 98"
495:"Review of the Day: Roller Derby Rivals by Sue Macy"
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Roller derby : the history of an
American sport
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472:. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. 56.
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312:"The Long and Surprising History of Roller Derby"
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393:"'50s roller derby star Gerry Murray dies at 98"
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366:"Vintage: Roller derby"
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189:star in his own right.
128:Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn
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164:Along with stars like
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29:Personal information
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149:She graduated from
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548:2019 deaths
543:1920 births
34:Nationality
537:Categories
193:References
153:in 1938.
138:Early life
110:Turned pro
48:1920-09-30
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42:Born
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