In Memoriam:
Thomas G. Salem
October 21, 1932-August 31, 2015

Tommy Salem grew up on Bolivar Road in Cleveland‘s Little Syria.
His father ran an Arabic coffeehouse, a center of food and social life. He
trained to be a concert violinist and had won several art recognitions earning him a scholarship to Michigan State University. But Tommy wanted more. He figured he might as well get paid for the fighting he learned on the streets. He trained under manager, Jimmy Avon, at the Avon Athletic Club and Old Angle Gym.

At seventeen, he turned pro-fighting in the featherweight and
y lightweight divisions. The Korean War put his boxing career on hold from l95l-1953, but he trained the First Cavalry Army Boxing Team. which went undefeated in all service competitions and had two of his boxers becoming All-Army Champions. Upon his return, he fought some of the world’s best fighters with 48 fights, ll knockouts and 8 losses during his career I950-1958. In 1956, he fought for a shot for the lightweight title in New York’s Madison Square Garden against Carlos Ortiz, losing in a highly-disputed, one—point split decision. Ortiz noted in an interview with Ring Magazine that the fight with Salem was the toughest of his career and he would never fight Salem again.

Salem graduated from Cuyahoga Community College, attended
John Carroll and Fenn College, and completed the program at Cleveland Advertising Club. He worked in sales, advertising, and brokered ferrous metals. He was married for 43 years to Dr. Dorothy Salem, Emeritus Professor of Cuyahoga Community College. He has three daughters, Kelle, Beth, and Jennifer, six grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. During the last decade of his life, he increasingly suffered with frontotemporal dementia made worse from the brain trauma of boxing. During this time, his days were enriched by his three dogs providing the unconditional love and acceptance he cherished. Salem is in the Ohio State Former Boxers Hall of Fame and in the Greater
Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame