Midge Brasuhn
Personal information
Nickname(s)Midge, Toughie, Brazooni[1]
NationalityAmerican
BornJanuary 27, 1923
DiedAugust 9, 1971(1971-08-09) (aged 48)
Height4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
Weight150 lb (68 kg)[2]
Sport
SportRoller derby
TeamBrooklyn Red Devils
Turned pro1941
Retired1962

Marjorie Clair Louise Theresa Brasuhn Monte (January 27, 1923 – 9 August 1971), known as Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn,[3] 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".[4] She joined the roller derby in 1941, in Minneapolis,[5] and soon married Ken Monte, a fellow skater.[4]

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?"[4] She regularly competed against Gerry Murray,[5] sometimes on a one-to-one basis,[6] and in 1949 took a leading role in the film Roller Derby Girl.[7] In 1950, she was voted one of the ten leading sportswomen by the Sportswriters of America,[5] and she became the captain of the Brooklyn Red Devils.[6] She was known for her aggressive play, and would sometimes knee her opponents in the jaw.[8]

Brasuhn retired from competition in 1962,[4] and was subsequently inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame.[9] In the mid-1960s, she briefly skated with the rival Roller Games,[5] before moving with her son to Honolulu,[4] where she died unexpectedly in 1971.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Collier's Encyclopedia (1946), Volume 118, Part 2, p.24
  2. ↑ http://www.bankedtrack.info/Annuals/RollerDerbyPgm1960.pdf
  3. ↑ "' 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...{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Herb Michelson, A Very Simple Game
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Roller Derby Star Dies", Daily Herald, August 25, 1971, section 2, page 1
  6. 1 2 "'Toughie' and Gerry in Half-Mile Match Contest", Miami News, February 16, 1950
  7. ↑ "Roller Derby Girl (1949)", IMDb
  8. ↑ Jeff Nilsson and Rusti Keen, "Women of the Roller Derby: Morals, Manners, and Muscle", Saturday Evening Post
  9. ↑ Keith Coppage, Roller Derby to RollerJam, p.122
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