Jack Johnson and His First Wife Etta, 1910

Jack Johnson and his wife Etta wearing winter coats Etta Terry Duryea, a Brooklyn socialite and former wife of Clarence Duryea, were married in 1911. Prone to depression, her condition worsened because of Johnson's abuse and infidelity. She committed suicide in September 1912, shooting herself. John Arthur Johnson (March 31, 1878 - June 10, 1946) was the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908-15). He had a unique fighting style, which was not customary to boxing during this time. He would fight defensively, waiting for his opponents to tire out. He would continuously dodge their punches, and quickly strike back with a blow of his own. He often made his fights look effortless, but when pushed he could also display some powerful moves, and punches. He was an early example of the celebrity athlete in the modern era, appearing regularly in the press and later on radio and in motion pictures. On June 10, 1946, he died in a car crash after racing angrily from a diner that refused to serve him. He was 68 years old. During his boxing career, he fought 114 fights, winning 80 matches, 45 by knockouts. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954, and is on the roster of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. No photographer credited, January 27, 1910

Picture No

12697124

Media ID

47687593

Size

3117px x 4500px (1.9MB)

Credit

LOC/Science Source/Mary Evans