Jack Kearns
Name: Jack Kearns
Birth Name: John L. McKernan
Born: 1882-08-17
Birthplace:
Died: 1963-07-07 (Age:80)
Nationality: US American
Hometown: Seattle, Washington, USA
Boxing Record: click
John Leo McKernan was born in Michigan in 1882. His family soon moved to North Dakota, then to Washington state. He played semi-professional baseball for awhile before boxing as "Young Kid Kearns." He then took on the name of "Jack Kearns." He is sometimes known as "Doc" Kearns. The March 12, 1909 Tacoma Daily News reported that he and boxer Kid Scaler had been arrested for selling liquor to fifteen-year-old Pearl Ohman at Scaler's saloon in Spokane, WA. By late 1911, he was in the sand and gravel business in Spokane, according to the Sept. 11, 1911 Tacoma Daily News.
Per the Dec. 19, 1918 Tacoma News-Tribune, Biddy Bishop met Kearns soon after Bishop had moved to Spokane from San Francisco after the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. While in Spokane, he met Jack Kearns, who was driving a horse team at this time. Bishop and Kearns joined forces to start a newspaper, but the paper folded after only two editions were published. Kearns then moved on to manage Kid Scaler, and then to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he eventually hooked up with Fighting Dick Hyland. From there, Kearns went to San Francisco, where he took over the helm of Fighting Billy Murray. They both sailed to Australia, when Kearns had Joe Bonds sent over from the States to fight in Kearns's small stable. When Kearns returned to San Francisco, Jack Curley turned over to Kearns the management of "an obscure boxer in Salt Lake City"--the future world champion and boxing icon Jack Dempsey. Kearns later managed Mickey Walker, Archie Moore, and Joey Maxim.
Per newspaper wire reports, such as that found in the Tacoma News-Tribune, on March 23, 1945, Kearns was indicted in New York City for 26 counts of mail fraud. Bail was set at $3,500. His co-defendants were Harry (Packy) Lennon and Gloria Carruthers (also known as Princess Zulieka, an astrologist).
Kearns died July 17, 1963.
- Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, "Expanded Category" (Managers & Trainers)
- Photo of Kearns & Dempsey
- Video of Kearns & Dempsey: [1]
