| Bernice Gera was born June 15, 1931 in Ernest, PA. Gera went on to become the first women ever to umpire a professional baseball game. Graduated from Florida Baseball Umpire School, West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1967, some of the more memorable games Gera umpired included the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, KS and the Semi-Pro Invitational Tournament in Brigeton, NJ. On June 24, 1972, Gera officiated the first game of a double header in the New York-Pa Professional Baseball Class A League, thereby becoming the first female professional umpire. Because of her poor treatment by the players and the fans, Gera resigned between games, ending her career as an umpire. From 1974 to 1979 she worked in Community Relations and Promotions for the New York Mets, before she retired to Florida where she passed away during the summer of 1992. |
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