Figure 1.--William David 'Billy' Conn (1917-93) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion now best remembered for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins by knockout. We know nothing about his childhood, but he grew up in Pittsburgh. He began boxing (1934) His primary nickname was 'The Pittsburgh Kid'. He married Mary Louise Smith who was also from Pittsburgh. He did not, however, get along with his father-in-law, Jimmy 'Greenfield Jimmie' Smith, another boxer. A fight occurred between the two. Conn broke his hand. A fight with Joe Louis had to be postponed. Frank Deford wrote a fascinating account about the kitchen brawl in his Sports Illustrated -- "The Boxer and the Blonde". Here we have a press photograph of Conn and his three children, two boys and a girl, 3-8 years old. Susan wears a dress, Billy wears a white shirts with a sports collar and suspender shorts. Sports collars were still worn in the 1940s, but disappeared in the early-50s. Timmy wears a plaid short and long pants. Conn had retired from the ring, but made a ton of money by investing in oil.

William David 'Billy' Conn (1917-93) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion now best remembered for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins by knockout. We know nothing about his childhood, but he grew up in Pittsburgh. He began boxing (1934) His primary nickname was 'The Pittsburgh Kid'. He married Mary Louise Smith who was also from Pittsburgh. He did not, however, get along with his father-in-law, Jimmy 'Greenfield Jimmie' Smith, another boxer. A fight occurred between the two. Conn broke his hand. A fight with Joe Louis had to be postponed. Frank Deford wrote a fascinating account about the kitchen brawl in his Sports Illustrated -- "The Boxer and the Blonde". Here we have a press photograph of Conn and his three children, two boys and a girl, 3-8 years old. Susan wears a dress. Billy isa little more dressed up than his big brither. He wears a white shirts with a sports collar and suspender shorts. Notice the problem with the suspender straps on his shorts which have fallen down. Sports collars were still worn in the 1940s, but disappeared in the early-50s. Timmy wears a plaid short and long pants. Notuce tht both boys re earing leathger shoes. Many boys had sneakers at the time, but they were mostly worn for out door boy. Boys and even more so girls did not even wear them to school. Conn had retired from the ring, but made a ton of money by investing in oil.

Created: 12:18 PM 9/20/2018
Last updated: 12:18 PM 9/20/2018