Prominent Seattle boxing promoter Nate Druxman (1892-1969) was born in Seattle to Ukrainian Jewish parents, owners of a furniture store at Second Avenue South and Yesler Way. Druxman attended Seattle Public Schools, first the old South School, and then the Pacific School, where he met his future wife, Jessie Simmons. They were married in 1914 and had four sons, Robert, E.J. ("Bud"), Calvin and Edward.
Druxman played semi-pro baseball and did some lightweight boxing as a young man. His boss at the Schwabacher Brothers and Company store, however, was not impressed with Druxman's boxing career and, needing the job, young Druxman quit boxing to work fulltime selling cigars. Druxman worked for Schwabacher Brothers from around 1910 until 1929.
Though he had quit fighting, in 1914 Druxman began promoting boxing shows at Seattle's Elks Club at Fourth Avenue and Spring Street, one of several local venues for private club boxing. Though professional boxing was illegal in Washington State at the time, an exception in the 1909 legislation "Provided that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to interfere with members of private club sparring or fencing for exercise among themselves." Accordingly, most fights took place in American Legion posts, Elks, Knights of Columbus, Moose Lodges and other clubs for "members." Other Seattle boxing venues at the time included the Northwest Athletic Club and the National Athletic Club.
By 1925, Nate had opened his own club, the Druxman Athletic Club, at the Crystal Pool on Second Avenue; he also promoted fights at the Civic Ice Arena, Dugdale Park, and the National Athletic Club during this period. Among the fighters who fought or refereed for Druxman were Freddie Steele, Tod Morgan, Al Hostak, Gorilla Jones, Ted Krache, Dode Bercot, Travie Davis, Henry Woods, Max Baer, Doc Snell, and Cecil Payne. After boxing was legalized in Washington in 1933, Druxman was able to promote world title fights in Seattle--11 of them between 1933 and 1940, including the middleweight title bout between Freddie Steele and Al Hostak in 1938. Though Druxman also operated a real estate business, he continued to promote boxing until 1942, when he went to work for the special services section at the Port of Embarkation during the war.
Nate Druxman died on November 20, 1969.
From the guide to the Nate Druxman Seattle boxing photograph and ephemera collection, 1920-1945, 1931-1941, (Museum of History & Industry Sophie Frye Bass Library)
