The NYSAC was founded in 1911, when the Frawley Law legalized prizefighting in New York state.
[2] Weeks declined to serve on the commission so James Edward Sullivan was appointed for the final seat.
[5][6] In 1921, Governor Nathan L. Miller appointed William Muldoon, Frank Dwyer, and George K. Morris to reformed state athletic commission.
[7] The National Boxing Association (NBA) was established in 1921 by other U.S. states to counter the influence of the NYSAC.
[8] Cathy Davis sued the NYSAC in 1977 because she was denied a boxing license because she was a woman, and the case was decided in her favor later that year, with the judge invalidating New York State rule number 205.15, which stated, “No woman may be licensed as a boxer or second or licensed to compete in any wrestling exhibition with men.”[10][11] In his opinion the judge cited the precedent set by Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission (1975), which “found the regulation invalid under the equal protection clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions”.