Home > Roaring Twenties > Jack Dempsey Biography

Born June 24, 1895 (Manassa, Colorado)
Died May 31, 1983 (New York City, New York)

Boxer and businessman

Jack Dempsey was one of the first great sports heroes and a popular figure of the Roaring Twenties, which has been called the Golden Age of Sports. He joined the ranks of other leading athletes, such as baseball's George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895–1948; see entry), football's Red Grange (1903–1991) and golf's Bobby Jones (1902–1971), who were admired and even worshipped by the public. Between 1919 and 1926 Dempsey reigned as the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, and for those years he seemed to...