Harry Foley
Name: Harry Foley
Birth Name: Harry Peter Foley
Hometown: Oakland, California, USA
Birthplace: California, USA
Died: 1920-04-04 (Age:40)
Height: 183cm
Promoter: Record
Judge: Record
Referee: Record
Pro Boxer: Record
Harry Foley was a San Francisco-based boxing referee, manager, and former boxer. [1] He was an early (circa 1913) manager of Sailor Ed Petroskey. He helped incorporate the Empire Athletic Club in 1911. [2]. He also managed Ralph Gruman, Portland, Oregon lightweight of the 1910s.
He is to be distinguished from Harry Foley (Harry Gillum).
According to his obituary in the April 5, 1920 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle on Newspapers.com, Harry Foley, 40 years of age, died in his home in San Francisco on April 4, 1920. He had been in poor health after an attack of influenza in November 1918. Although he recovered somewhat, "his lungs were affected, and he was never again in the best of health." During the weeks before his death, he failed rapidly.
As a youth, he was a fine all-around athlete, excelling in swimming, rowing, and running in track-and-field before becoming a professional boxer. After his career as a professional boxer ended, Foley stayed in the boxing game as a promoter, manager and trainer. Among the boxers that he managed were Toby Irwin, Al Neill, Joe Thomas, Monte Attell and Willie Ritchie. During the most recent years before his death, he managed the well-known San Francisco boxing venue, the Dreamland Rink, while being credited with the success of four-round boxing shows there. He was survived by his widow, daughter, mother, brother and sister.
According to his registration card on the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-18 database on Ancestry.com, one Harry Peter Foley, 39 years of age, was born on September 12, 1879. At the time of his registration on September 12, 1918, Foley was the manager of the Dreamland Rink and resided with his wife, Hattie, in San Francisco, California. He was 6 feet in height.