Remembering Bob Fitzsimmons

William H. ('Bill') Rocap (1861-1928) was one of the premier amateur athletes in America in the late 19th century, excelling in boxing and rowing. As a member of the Schuylkill Navy Athletic Club he contributed to the establishment of the Amateur Athletic Union. In 1888 he became the first amateur

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Featherweight Boxing Champion of America, and won the title again in 1989. As long-time Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Public Ledger he promoted honesty and integrity in all sports, amateur and professional, especially boxing. He was official time-keeper on the 1912 United States' International Polo Team. He helped organize the National Boxing Association in 1921 and became the first Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Athletic and Boxing Commission in 1923.

Pember W. Rocap (1941- ) served a full career in the United States Air Force as a maintenance officer in three F-105 wings during the Vietnam War, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, creator and first editor of the Air Force Journal of Logisitcs, and Chief of the Air Force Section, Office of Defense Cooperation, American Embassy, Rome, Italy. A graduate of Texas Tech, he has taught literature and writing for several universities. He currently lives in Maine with his wife, Jean. The account of his 1967-68 duty in Southeast Asia with the 355th and 388th Tactical Fighter Wings at Takhli and Korat, Thailand, Numbered Days, will be published this fall.

New, Mint condition, Limited Printing (this is one of few copies remaining), Genre defying book containing: the personal reminiscences about the great champion Robert Fitzsimmons written upon his death in 1917 by his fellow boxer and friend of 27 years Billy Rocap, internationally renowned referee, long-time Sports Editor of the Phila. Public Ledger, first Amateur Featherweight Boxing Champion (1888,1889) in America, National Boxing Association organizer and 1st Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Boxing Commission; includes Fitzsimmons' verbatim recollections of his youth and Rocap's early reports about him; some rarely available (or not previously available) material- such as letters, stories or personal accounts-of both men and many of their legendary pugilistic contemporaries, including John L. Sullivan, James Corbett, James J. Jeffries, Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Peter Maher, Dominick McCaffrey, Jack McAuliffe, Jess Willard, Joe Jeannette, Lew Tendler, Joe Choynski, Mike O'Dowd, Mexican Pete Everett, Terry McGovern, Sailor Tom Sharkey and others (even The Happiest Millionaire, Anthony Drexel Biddle, their mutual friend, is allowed his contribution and Sam Bernard, the vaudeville star, makes an appearance); a detailed presentation of events in Billy Rocap's life at the end of 1917 and the Philadelphia boxing community in support of Americans serving in the army, navy and marines during World War I that influenced what he wrote about the Great Fitz; what really happened when Fitz and Jack Johnson fought in Philadelphia in 1907 when the Elks were in town, Tom Sharkey's account as told to Billy Rocap of his fight with Mexican Pete Everett in Cripple Creek Colorado in 1901, plus a lengthy letter to Billy from Dominick McCaffrey after decades of silence about his 1888 bout w/ Dempsey and his career,and more first person history.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter One
November 11, 1917-Early life and educaton
January 2001-The world is but a stage
Chapter Two
November 18, 1917-Amateur to professional
February 2001-Bully fighters
Chapter Three
November 25, 1917-The big regret
March 2001-The true fiction
Chapter Four
December 2, 1917-America and the middleweight title
April 2001-Irish tenors
Chapter Five
December 9, 1917-Taking on the heavyweights
May 2001-Who's in control here?
Chapter Six
December 16, 1917-Champion and man
June 2001-Mismatches
Aferword
Select bibliography

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