ERA · 1935 – 1948
Origins
VerifiedFrom the August 13, 1935 founding of Roller Derby by Leo Seltzer at the Chicago Coliseum — a transcontinental endurance contest of 25 mixed pairs — through the sport's transformation from spectacle to banked-track contact game. The era ends with the 1948 television breakthrough that would define the next decade.
Decades in this era
1930s
Pre-1935: walkathons and endurance spectacles. 1935-1939: Leo Seltzer founds Roller Derby at Chicago Coliseum on August 13, 1935 with 25 mixed pairs in a transcontinental contest. The sport tours the country. 1937 brings tragedy: a team bus crashes in Salem, IL on March 24.
1940s
The transformation decade: Roller Derby evolves from endurance event to banked-track contact sport. World War II briefly disrupts touring. November 29, 1948 sees the sport's first network television broadcast — the spark for the next decade's national reach. In 1949 the National Roller Derby League (NRDL) forms with six teams: New York Chiefs, Brooklyn Red Devils, Jersey Jolters, Philadelphia Panthers, Washington-Baltimore Jets, and Chicago Westerners.
Documented events in this era
Founding of Roller Derby
1935-08-13
Leo Seltzer's transcontinental endurance contest at the Chicago Coliseum. Twenty-five mixed male-female pairs compete. Clarice Martin and Bernie McKay finish as the founding winners.
Salem, Illinois Bus Disaster
1937-03-24
A Roller Derby team bus crashes near Salem, Illinois on March 24, 1937. The disaster causes fatalities and reshapes Roller Derby's road logistics for years afterward.
First National Television Broadcast
1948-11-29
November 29, 1948: Roller Derby's first national television broadcast. The medium will define the sport's commercial profile through the 1950s.
National Roller Derby League Formation
1949-01-01
Six teams form the NRDL: New York Chiefs, Brooklyn Red Devils, Jersey Jolters, Philadelphia Panthers, Washington-Baltimore Jets, and Chicago Westerners.