skating in the shadows of Tenley and Carol... Frances

[Mel On Ice]

I found a book entitled "Creative Ice Skating" by skater Frances Dorsey, published in 1980, at a discount book store for 99 cents. I did a search on her, and found that she was the National Junior Ladies (U.S.) champion in 1951, won senior silver in '52 and bronze in '54. In her book introduction, she says she was selected for Olympic and World teams, yet I can't find her name anywhere else except in U.S. results. Oh, and in a photograph, she lays claim to inventing the Sasha split, calling it "The Dorsey".

She went pro at 18 (no mention of what year that was), skated with Follies, Holiday on Ice, and did a show on the Vegas strip. She then became a pro in Northbrook, IL. In photographs, she is quite beautiful, very Marilyn Monroe, with a flashy, Bobek flair to her costuming and positions.

Anybody know anything else about this skater? The book is not that great, but it was also written in an era where figures still accounted for an important portion of the total score, and this lady was total show skater.

edited to add: I did a search on skatabase: she finished 11th at '51 Worlds and 5th in '54. Not too shabby.

[LittleBitSk8er]

I'm with you I have never heard of her but would like to find out more. Found I could buy the book on line for $3.45 you got a better deal!:)

[manleywoman]

I found this book a few months agao at a used shop too, and since i skate at the Northbrook rink, I brought it in. All the mothers/coaches there who had been there a long time all knew Dorsey and were loving the book. i also took note about how she tried to give her name to the Charlotte and call it the "Dorsey." Obviously it never stuck!

They all say too that she looks about half her age and always did. And the last times she did shows at Northbrook wel into her 60s that she was proudly wearing outfits that the likes of JLo or Britney could pull off!

[HSF]

There was little coverage of skating on USA TV in the early 50's. Most of it consisted of a short clip in the sports segment of the news IF one of our skaters placed high enough to warrant mention.

Your questions about Frances Dorsey aroused my curiousity as to who she was competing against other than Tenley and Carol and what I found amazed me.

At the '51 Worlds there were 5 USA ladies competing. Although Frances placed 11th, the other 4 USA ladies placed higher than she did. The only name I recognized was Tenley.

At the '54 Worlds there were 4 USA ladies. Tenley placed 2nd (I think) and Francis 5th with the other 2 ladies placing lower in the ranks.

I imagine figures played a big role in placements back in those days.

[blades]

8-)

frances went into the shows just before i started skating...but her sister sherrie was still competing...my second coach (whom i trained under for several years), clarence hislop, was both frances' and sherrie's coach...

frances was a beautiful young lady and an excellent show skater...and i'm told that today she still looks about 20 years younger than her actual age...

i spoke to brad hislop today (clarence's son and many times my fellow competitor) and he thought that frances is now in santa fe, new mexico and is involved with a new shopping centre rink there (along with another seattle skater, lorna dyer...former u.s. ice dance champion)...

sherrie dorsey winder (not sure if she still goes by the "winder" sirname) is teaching in virginia...

[Moto Guzzi]

sherrie dorsey winder (not sure if she still goes by the "winder" sirname) is teaching in virginia...

Sherry Winder Cook was teaching at the Cabin John rink in Rockville, MD. She may have been teaching at Reston, VA, too, but Cabin John is where I met her. She stopped teaching for a while last year while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but I've heard she's back.

[trains]

Does anyone know if she ever taught in Toronto? I had a replacement coach for a few months in the 1960's in Toronto, who was named Mrs. Winder. I was young, but I remember her being blonde and petite and pretty.

[blades]

8-)

sherry taught in portland years back and then in virginia...don't think she ever taught in canada...

just brings to mind a "what ever happened to?": christy ito...one of sherry's outstanding students from portland in the late 60's...

[Betty]

At the '51 Worlds there were 5 USA ladies competing. Although Frances placed 11th, the other 4 USA ladies placed higher than she did. The only name I recognized was Tenley.

At the '54 Worlds there were 4 USA ladies. Tenley placed 2nd (I think) and Francis 5th with the other 2 ladies placing lower in the ranks.

I imagine figures played a big role in placements back in those days.


If you would have the time, and can post who the other ladies were besides Frances and Tenley for the 51 and 54 Worlds, it would be appreciated.

And you are so right about figures playing a big role. They counted 60 percent.

[HSF]

Betty, I assume you are asking for the names of the other USA ladies so am listing those. If you want a list of all the competitors there is a wonderful site called "Skatabase" that gives the historical data for all the Worlds disciplines. You can find a link to that site on Sandra Loosemore's board.

The Ladies that competed for the USA:

1951: 3rd-Sonya Kloper; 6th-Tenley Albright; 7th-Andra McLaughlin;
8th-Margaret Anne Graham; 11th-Frances Dorsey

1954: 2nd-Tenley Albright; 5th-Frances Dorsey; 11th-Margaret Anne
Graham; 16th-Clema Cowley.

[Betty]

Betty, I assume you are asking for the names of the other USA ladies so am listing those. If you want a list of all the competitors there is a wonderful site called "Skatabase" that gives the historical data for all the Worlds disciplines. You can find a link to that site on Sandra Loosemore's board.

The Ladies that competed for the USA:

1951: 3rd-Sonya Kloper; 6th-Tenley Albright; 7th-Andra McLaughlin;
8th-Margaret Anne Graham; 11th-Frances Dorsey

1954: 2nd-Tenley Albright; 5th-Frances Dorsey; 11th-Margaret Anne
Graham; 16th-Clema Cowley.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. And thanks for posting this. Yes, that is what I had meant, just the USA ladies. I had no idea that at one time as many as 4 or 5 ladies from the USA could be on the same World team. But of course, this is a long time ago.

Guessing here, but I am almost sure Sonya Kloper is the well known in the skating world coach, Sonya Dunfield.

[HSF]

I was surprised when I saw the multiple entries, too, but when I looked at the total number of competitors entered, it made sense.

In the 50's the total number of Ladies entered at the competitions at Worlds was mainly in the low 20's. The highest number was 29 competitors in '58 when Worlds was held in Paris. The lowest was 14 in '50 which was held in England with the '59 competition in the USA a close second lowest with 15.