James John O'Hara was a commissioner and then executive secretary for the Minnesota Board of Boxing from 1976–2001. When O'Hara was elected to the Minnesota Board of Boxing, he was a retiredlight heavyweightamateur and retired professionalheavyweight boxer. O'Hara retired from the ring in 1953 with a claim to the Minnesota professional heavyweight title after a win over Don Jasper.
O'Hara competed in the Northwest Golden Gloves tournament in 1943, 1944, and 1945 as a light heavyweight. He was 4-F, unfit for military service, due to gout attacks, which he suffered all his life. Over the winter of 1943-1944, Jimmy won the St. Paul Golden Gloves tournament as a light-heavy. He finished runner up at the Northwest Golden Gloves tournament, having been rated an even chance to win the championship. During the 1945 Golden Gloves, a rivalry began between O'Hara and Erle Adkinson that followed the fighters into their professional careers. O'Hara and Adkinson fought three times in 1945, with O'Hara never managing the upper hand over Adkinson.
O'Hara's unanimous decision over Don Jasper on August 27, 1953, gave him a claim to the Minnesota professional heavyweight title, though there was some controversy, as the fight was only six rounds as opposed to ten.
O'Hara was appointed to the Minnesota Board of Boxing in 1976 by Minnesota GovernorWendell Anderson. Soon after, O'Hara was voted by the board to serve as its executive secretary, a paid advisory position, in which capacity he served for 25 years.
"He was a great mediator and diplomat," said Joe Azzone, past Chair of the Boxing Board. "I always thought Jim was the wisest guy I ever met," said international boxing referee Denny Nelson. "He knew how to handle people." O'Hara was one of four long-term leaders in the history of boxing regulation in Minnesota. The others were George Barton, Jack Gibbons, and Scott LeDoux. A journalist for over 50 years, Barton received in 1952 the James J. Walker Award from the Boxing Writers' Association of New York. Jack Gibbons, the son of boxing legend Mike Gibbons, boxed professionally as a light-heavy and retired with a record of 57 wins, five losses, and one draw. LeDoux was a former heavyweight contender in the 1970s.
On November 3, 1951, Jimmy O'Hara's brother and fellow boxer, Michael Ehrich, was shot and killed by Bernard L. "Mutt" Martineau. Martineau was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten to twenty years in Stillwater prison. After his retirement from the ring, Jimmy helped create a boxing program at Stillwater prison.
Cancer
Jimmy O'Hara died January 17, 2002, from late-stage bladder cancer.
"He was an iconic figure on the streets of St. Paul , a man recognized by countless of his fellow citizens. He was very simply Mr. Boxing."
O'Hara's ring performances alone would not have gotten him in the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame; he is ultimately recognized for his work outside the squared circle, including 25 years as head of the Minnesota Boxing Board. Upon Jimmy's death in 2002, St. Paul Pioneer Press sportswriter Tom Powers offered this assessment: "O'Hara, as much a part of the fabric of St. Paul as the cathedral or the capitol building, worked with promoters, handlers and fighters, always gently steering them in the right direction. He could tell them where to get proper health insurance as easily as he could recommend a qualified referee. O'Hara's legacy to the world of boxing is the reminder to do your research and, when making decisions, figure long term like a good referee.
