GEORGE ZAHARIAS - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 11/19/1949 - HFSID 255184

GEORGE ZAHARIAS
Writing to Fred Corcoran about founding the Ladies Professional Golf Association
Typed Letter Signed: "George Zaharias", 1 page 8½x11. Denver, Colorado,1949 November 19th. On letterhead of Denver Boxing Club to Mr. Fred Corcoran, Wellesley, Massachusetts. In full: "Dear Fred: I wrote you a couple of weeks ago in answer to your letter and also sent a check for your end of the exhibitions and also asked you as to what was going to happen on the womens golf tournaments. I talked to Patty Berg, also Babe and they said that they would play in all the golf tournaments, if you would set up. If I were you, Fred. I would go ahead and work on the tournaments and get as many as you can. Of course you know you have Babe and I also talked to most of the amaterurs and they would play in the tournaments. In this way you would have a wedge and have the ball rolling, regardless of Louie Suggs and McGregor, who are probably giving you the most opposition. Let me hear from you and what you think of this, As Ever, George" George Zaharias (1908-1984), born Thomas Vetoyanis, was a professional wrestler called "the Crying Greek from Cripple Creek," usually cast as the ring villain. In 1938 he met Babe Didrickson, track and field gold medalist at the 1932 Olympics. They met at a celebrity golf tournament. They married later that year, and George managed Babe's golf career thereafter, also caring for her during her long battle with cancer. The founding of the LPGA was an important landmark, paving the way for women to have their own golf tour like the men, instead of just exhibitions and amateur events. Football Hall of Famer Alex Karras portrayed George Zaharias in the TV movie Babe (1975). Fred Corcoran (1905-1977) was an American agent, sports promoter, golf administrator and enthusiast. He managed the career of Babe Zaharias, entering her into the 1954 Los Angeles Open as the first women to play in a PGA tour event. Corcoran founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Golf Writers Association of America. In 1975 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, one of the first honorees to not have had a career in competitive golf. Lightly creased. Top left corner has more significant crease. Normal mailing folds. Sharply toned on verso, not visible from front. Otherwise, fine condition. Lightly Creased. Normal Mail folds. Staple and nickel sized brown mark in top left. Moisture stains on left edge. Light brown smudges on bottom left corner.