| In 1937 a group of roller-rink operators | | | | In 1940, figure-, dance-, and speed-skating |
| determined to band together and make a | | | | championships were combined, and an |
| serious attempt to elevate the sport's | | | | all-inclusive national championship meet was |
| standards and management. Several amateur | | | | held at the Cleveland Public Auditorium. The |
| competitions were fostered. On April 3, 1937, | | | | four-day meet catered to almost five hundred |
| seventeen operators met at Detroit and | | | | amateur skaters participating in all the |
| organized the Roller Skating Rink Operators | | | | classes of the three branches of the sport. |
| Association (RSROA) of the United States. It | | | | |
| set up as its main objective the advancement | | | | The meet was so successful that the |
| of amateur roller skating. | | | | membership of the RSROA decided to hold the |
| | | | National Championships at the same auditorium |
| Perry Rawson, a retired New York broker and | | | | in 1941, when for four days, once again, the |
| amateur ice skater, who had thoroughly | | | | big auditorium was filled with amateur |
| studied International Style figure and dance | | | | skaters. There were many more competitors |
| skating, visited England in 1937 and saw for | | | | than in the previous year, and ages ranged |
| himself what had been accomplished on rollers | | | | from six to thirty-six, all competing in |
| in that country. When he returned to America, | | | | dancing, figures, and racing for national |
| Rawson brought back motion picture films | | | | titles. |
| showing that the International Style, which | | | | |
| was prevalent on ice, was possible on | | | | At this time the RSROA founded an annual |
| rollers. The films showed British champions | | | | professional school where the country's |
| doing school figures, free style, and dancing | | | | leading instructors could get together in a |
| on roller skates. | | | | group, exchange information, and agree on the |
| | | | standardization of skating and teaching |
| The exhibition of these films in many rinks | | | | procedure. It established rules and |
| throughout the United States aroused great | | | | regulations for the game of roller hockey and |
| enthusiasm. In October of 1938, James and | | | | for the organization of amateur roller hockey |
| Joan Lindstone, the British champions, came | | | | teams and leagues. It arranged a series of |
| to the United States and toured the country, | | | | graded proficiency tests for dance, figure |
| giving exhibitions at many of the leading | | | | and speed skating, for which bronze, silver, |
| rinks. Their spellbinding act greatly | | | | and gold medals were awarded. |
| impressed American skaters, and from that | | | | |
| point the International Style came into its | | | | Meanwhile, roller skating had been publicized |
| own in the United States. | | | | in three motion picture short subjects, had |
| | | | been included in two feature films, and had |
| The first national meet to be sanctioned by | | | | been the subject of many magazine articles |
| the RSROA was the speed-skating championships | | | | and at least one full-length novel. Books |
| held at the Sefferino Rollerdrome at | | | | were published, containing the various rules, |
| Cincinnati in 1938. In the following year, | | | | regulations, tests, and amateur competitions |
| the RSROA held its first national figure- and | | | | for all branches of the sport. The first |
| dance-skating championships, the | | | | regularly scheduled newspaper column devoted |
| figure-skating events being held at the Arena | | | | exclusively to roller skating started in |
| Gardens Rink in Detroit, and the | | | | the New York Journal-American in 1940. The |
| skate-dancing competitions at the Mineola | | | | RSROA was very effective at getting the |
| Skating Rink, Mineola, N.Y. | | | | general public to accept and get excited |
| | | | about roller skating. |