100 Years Ago: World Lightweight Boxing Champion Visits Western Military Academy in Alton

On February 19, 1926, recently retired boxing champion Benny Leonard (born Benjamin Leiner; April 7, 1896 – April 18, 1947) came to Western Military Academy. Leonard held the world lightweight title (under 135 pounds) from 1917 to 1925 and is widely considered to be one of the best lightweight boxers of all time. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Leonard learned to fight in the streets of New York. Sportswriter Al Lurie called Leonard, "the most famous Jew in America...beloved by thin-faced little Jewish boys, who, in their poverty, dreamed of themselves as champions of the world."

Leonard planned to give a boxing exhibition for Western Military Academy students, but his sparring partner became ill, so the match had to be canceled. Leonard had quit boxing at the top of his game because his mother asked him to, and pivoted to a career in vaudeville and Hollywood serials. So instead of an exhibition match, he gave the cadets “a taste of his acting.” He told some stories and then “boxed” with two of the youngest cadets and seemed to enjoy himself as much as they did. Encyclopedia Britannica’s entry on Leonard mentions that he “was noted for distracting his opponents by talking to them,” so a career in entertainment must have been a good fit.

While he didn’t get to box at W.M.A, Leonard did get to meet Alton resident Frank Crosby, “who fought in the longest battle on record under the present-day rules of boxing.” Crosby battled Harry Sharpe of St. Louis for 77 rounds before Sharpe won. Crosby and Sharpe, “these two notables of a game that meant hard knocks,” talked. “Crosby bearing no marks of fighting days, looking like the business man of today. Benny Leonard, well-dressed, dapper, with only a slightly-swollen ear to show for the years in the ring that have earned him – according to reports – close to a million dollars.” (One million dollars in 1926 is equivalent to over 18 million dollars in 2026.)

Leonard was accompanied by Fred Mayer, Western Military Academy graduate of 1916, as well as Frank Glick, 1915 football captain of Princeton. Glick was another famous Jewish athlete of the time; he was among the first Jewish football stars in the United States. The visit coincided with the start of a boxing tournament under the direction of Coach Thompson, boxing instructor at W.M.A.

“‘Will you ever fight again?’ the champion was asked during his visit to W.M.A. ‘Never,’ was his reply.”

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 wreaked havoc with Leonard’s finances, and he returned to the ring in 1931 and won nineteen fights before Irish-Canadian boxer Jimmy McLarnin knocked him out in an October 7, 1932 bout at Madison Square Garden. He then retired for good, though he stayed in the boxing world as a referee. In 1947, Benny Leonard died of a heart attack while refereeing a boxing match at St. Nicholas Arena in New York.

Sources

“Benjamin Leiner.” Jewish Virtual Library, 2026.https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/benjamin-leiner

“Benny Leonard.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2026.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benny-Leonard

“Benny Leonard.” International Boxing Hall of Fame, 2026.http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/oldtimer/leonardbenny.html

“Benny Leonard, at Western, Says He Will Never Fight Again; Talks to Students.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), February 20, 1926.

“Leonard, Benny.” Jews In Sports Online, 2026.https://www.jewsinsports.org/boxing_ID_8.html

“Leonard and Dempsey.” Bain News Service, undated. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-B2- 5332-2https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014719542/

More like this:

Ray Hartmann Dies In Tragic St. Louis Car Crash

5 days ago

100 Years Ago: Wood River Resident Sings Folk Songs on KMOX

Apr 19, 2026

Keep The Spring Blood Supply Strong: Give Blood Or Platelets Now With Red Cross

2 days ago

This Day in History: Mussolini’s Fall and Other Major Events of April 28

Yesterday

100 Years Ago: Alton Dog Show Draws Crowd (and Dogs) From Across the Country

Mar 29, 2026