Toughie Brasuhn

Midge Brasuhn
Personal information
Nickname(s) Midge, Toughie, Brazooni[1]
Nationality American
Born January 27, 1923
Died August 9, 1971(1971-08-09) (aged 48)
Height 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
Weight 135 lb (61 kg)
Sport
Sport Roller derby
Team Brooklyn Red Devils
Turned pro 1941
Retired 1962

Marjorie Clair Louise Theresa Brasuhn Monte, known as Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn (January 27, 1923 – 9 August 1971)[2] was a roller derby skater.

Born in St Louis, Missouri, to a German-American family, Brasuhn acquired the nickname "Midge" as a child, by virtue of her height - only 4'11".[3] She joined the roller derby in 1941, in Minneapolis,[4] and soon married Ken Monte, a fellow skater.[3]

Brasuhn rose to fame in the late 1940s, with a billboard campaign showing her with green dye on her face, asking the question "Who Is Toughie?"[3] She regularly competed against Gerry Murray,[4] sometimes on a one-to-one basis,[5] and in 1949 took a leading role in the film Roller Derby Girl.[6] In 1950, she was voted one of the ten leading sportswomen by the Sportswriters of America,[4] and she became the captain of the Brooklyn Red Devils.[5] She was known for her aggressive play, and would sometimes knee her opponents in the jaw.[7]

Brasuhn retired from competition in 1962,[3] and was subsequently inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame.[8] In the mid-1960s, she briefly skated with the rival Roller Games,[4] before moving to Honolulu with her son,[3] where she died unexpectedly in 1971.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Collier's Encyclopedia (1946), Volume 118, Part 2, p.24
  2. ↑ "' Toughie' Brasuhn Dies; Early Star of Roller Derby". The New York Times (Proquest document ID 119229864). August 22, 1971. p. S3. Midge (Toughie) Brashun died unexpectedly on Aug. 9 in Honolulu. She was 48 years old. Born Jan. 27, 1923, in St. Paul...
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Herb Michelson, A Very Simple Game
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Roller Derby Star Dies", Daily Herald, August 25, 1971, section 2, page 1
  5. 1 2 "'Toughie' and Gerry in Half-Mile Match Contest", Miami News, February 16, 1950
  6. ↑ "Roller Derby Girl (1949)", IMDb
  7. ↑ Jeff Nilsson and Rusti Keen, "Women of the Roller Derby: Morals, Manners, and Muscle", Saturday Evening Post
  8. ↑ Keith Coppage, Roller Derby to RollerJam, p.122
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