Jerry Seltzer

Who is Jerry Seltzer?

Jerry Seltzer 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. At one time it was on 120 television stations in the US and Canada and filled Madison Square Garden, the Oakland Coliseum and Chicago White Sox Park.

In 1959, Jerry moved the operation to the San Francisco Bay Area and established the most fabled team in the history of the sport, the longtime champion San Francisco Bay Bombers. Stars included Charlie O'Connell, Joanie Weston, and Ann Calvello.

In 1970, Seltzer attempted to buy the struggling Oakland Seals hockey team. Although he put in a better offer and had a more detailed plan for reviving the franchise and had investors from 4 of the major franchises in the American Football League, a majority of National Hockey League owners voted to sell the team to Charlie O. Finley, the flamboyant owner of baseball's Oakland A's.