Bowler "Hall of Fame"


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Writer 1: Chelsea Slone

Writer 2: Griffin Moss


 Writer 1: Chelsea Slone 

 Writer 2: Griffin Moss

 

International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame

 

On June 2, 1984 the first Bowling Hall of Fame opened in St. Louis. St. Louis played a large role in the history of Bowling. The local team there was “Buds”, named after Budweiser Beer because it’s brewed in St. Louis. Anheuser Busch brewery, creator of Budweiser beer, is located in St. Louis, Missouri.  Many great bowlers bowled for this team. The museum displays the history gathered by the American Bowling Congress of all the records from their annual tournament since 1939.  "The Museum collects, preserves, and displays the 5,000 year history that has led to this worldwide success."  The facility also has a bowling alley where people can bowl for fun.  The museum and hall of fame is open from 11am to 4pm daily.  It is only open during select months, from March through October.  It is located at 111 Stadium Plaza in downton St. Louis.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Bowling-Hall-of-Fame&id=1498274[1]

http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/[2]

 

 

http://z.hubpages.com/u/15179_f496.jpg  Bowler "Hall of Fame"

 

     On November 8, 2008, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame closed its St. Louis, Missouri location in order to facilitate a move to the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas.  The new location plans to open in early 2010.  It will be a 3 story building that covers over 50,000 square feet.  "From computer databases to the bowling pin car, from world famous Mettlach steins to to zany 50's team shirts, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame holds the entire story of bowling."  At the new Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, there will be a Hometown Heroics section, which includes large amounts of information about bowlers and teams.  The new location should breathe new life into the hall of fame and drastically increase the number of visitors. 

http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Bowling-Hall-of-Fame&id=1498274

 

 

The Hall of Fame should really be called “Halls of Fame”, since there are in fact three halls:

1.     American Bowling Congress (ABC)

2.     Professional Bowlers’ Association (PBA)

3.     Women’s International Bowling Congress (WIBC)

 

     The American Bowling Congress(ABC) was organized on September 9, 1895 in New York City.  The congress developed rules and equipment standards that have remaind basically unchanged as the sport has steadily grown.  

 

     The Professional Bowlers' Assosciation(PBA) was formed in 1958.  It is headed in Seattle, Washington.  There are over 4,300 members worldwide, which include male and female professional bowlers, pro shop owners, and teaching professionals.  The PBA Hall of Fame was founded in 1975.  There were eight original inductees.  They were Earl Anthony, Ray Bluth, Don Carter, Carmen Salvino, Harry Smith, Dick Weber, Billy Welu, Frank Esposito, and Chuck Pezzano.  All of these men are enshrined in the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Bowlers_Association[3]

 

     Another Hall of Fame, established by the Professional Women Bowlers Association, was opened in Las Vegas in 1995. The difference in this teams opposed to the other women’s team is a bowler must have won at least five major titles. After they have won enough titles, they then have to be voted on and chosen to be a part of the association.

http://www.hickoksports.com/history/bowlhof.shtml[4]

           

Celebrities Bowling Hall of Fame Exhibit has recently become a part of the Bowling Museum in 2000. In June of 2009 the Hollywood Bowl was opened. This was an event to raise money for the International Bowling Museum. They had many celebrities performing and speaking at the event. Jerome Bettis who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers was the first person to be induced into the Celebrity Hall of Fame.  Lynn Swann another former Steelers player was the third person inducted into this hall of fame exhibit.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&tbs=tl:1&q=celebrities%20bowling%20hall%20of%20fame&ei=D-KmSrziLoGEMpmShKgI&sa=X&oi=toolbelt_timeline_result&resnum=10&ct=timeline-snippet&cd=1[5]

 

 

15179_f496.jpg

 

             

                                                                  Jerome Bettis                                                                     Lynn Swann                                     

 

ABC and PBA Hall of Fame Members: (Not all members are included)

 

 

Earl Anthony: Anthony originally wanted to play major league baseball as a left-handed pitcher. This dream crashed and burned when he has a bad ankle injury.   Anthony had a nickname of “Square Earl”, because of this crew cut and glasses.  He holds in record in bowling for 41 wins total. He retied for the first time in 1984. He had won the ABC Masters tournament in 1977 and 1984, the PBA national from 1973 through 1975 and from 1981 through 1983, and the Firestone Tournament of Champions in 1974 and 1978.  He later joined the PBA senior tour in 1988 and won four tournaments, the retired for good in 1991.

Mark Roth: Roth set the record of winning eight tournaments in a row in 1978. He won 34 tournaments total making him third in most tournaments won.  He was the second professional bowler to achieve $1 million dollars in career earnings.  In 1978, he set the record for most tournaments won in a single year with 8.  That mark still stands today. 

Mike Aulby: A left-handed bowler who was named the bowler of the 1980’s decade for winning three huge tournaments in that time.  In 1979 He was named the tour’s rookie of the year. He ranks fourth bowler of all time with 25 victories.

Donald Carter: Carter was referred to as “Mr. Bowling” because of his ongoing promotion and skill of bowling. He won the 1962 Hickok Belt as the professional athlete of the year. He was the only bowler to ever achieve this award. He was also named the best bowler of all time in a 1970’s poll.

Billy Hardwick: Billy Hardwick joined the PBA tour in 1961.  He was the first player ever to achieve the "Triple Crown."  The Triple Crown is achieved by winning the three main PBA tour tournaments.  These tournaments are the U.S. Open, the Tournament of Champions, and the PBA National Championship.  Hardwick was named bowler of the year in 1963, 1964, and in 1969.  He now operates a bowling center in Memphis, TN.

Marshall Holman: Holman was the first bowler on the PBA to surpass $1.5 million in earnings. His earnings totaled at $1,695,890.  He was considered the most consistent bowler during the 80’s. He has the highest average scores of the PBA in 1982,1984, and 1987. In 1987 he never won a tournament, but still remained the highest scorer. He still bowls in two tournaments a year.

Donald Johnson: He was nicknamed the “Kokomo Kid” because he has a herky-jerky motion. Johnson began bowling when he was fifteen years old. He won at the least one tournament a year for twelve years straight.

Walter Ray Williams Jr.: Walter Ray is currently the all-time winnegest player on the PBA tour with 42 tournament victories.  He recently passed the great Earl Anthony in 2006 by winning the Dydo Japan Cup.  He is six time PBA tour player of the year. He has won 7 major titles, which is second most all-time.  He was player of the year in 1986, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2003.  He also holds the all-time record for career earnings with over $3.8 million.  His nickname is "Deadeye".

 http://www.pba.com/players/hof/playerbio.asp?ID=6[6]

 

 

 

WIBC Hall of Fame Members: (Not all member are included)

 

 

Donna Adamek: “Mighty Mite” was her nickname. She was bowler of the year 1978 through 1981. She also won five major titles:

1.     The Women’s open in 1978 and 1981

2.     WIBC Queens in 1979 and 1980

3.     WPBA National Championship in 1980.

She holds a record for 300 perfect games. This record is shared with five women total. 

Dorothy Fothergill: In 1979 she won the first women’s Great and Greatest tournament with Donna Adamek.

Nicole Gianulias: “Nikki” was the first woman on the Ladies Pro Bowlers tour to roll four 800 series, and she was one of two to ever have down that. She was named bowler of the year in 1982, when she was also the top money winner. She won 18 tournaments making her the third of her time.

Millie Ignizio: She is the original star female bowler.  Millie led the league in average from 1966-1970 at 219.  She won the WIBC Queens Title in 1970 and 1971.  She held the record for Queens Titles until 2003.  At age 28, her career was cut short due to severe arthritis in her back that was a result of a dangeous car wreck.  She was the youngest woman ever inducted into the WIBC Hall of Fame in 1975.

Tish Johnson: Johnson began bowling when she was six years old.  She earned the name of “Iron Woman” in the women’s tour, because she competed in 236 consecutive tournaments. She won the 1980 Albert E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow as the most promising female newcomer. She also won 25 tournaments, which ties her with Patty Costello for fourth place of all time.

Marion Ladewig: She won an All-Star victory in 1951 when she averaged 247.5 pins over eight days, which actually would have won the men’s title that year. She set the record of winning the World Invitational five times.

Floretta McCutcheon: “Mrs. Mac” was her nickname, because she didn’t start bowling until she was thirty-five. She opened the Mrs. McCutcheon School of Bowling, which introduced bowling to an estimated 250,000 people. Most of the people she taught were women and children.

Betty Morris: In the 70’s Morris was named woman bowler of the decade. She was named bowler of the year in 74, 77, and in 87. She is the only woman to bowl two perfect scores on the same day, June 2, 1976. On that day she also set a six game record of 1.546 in the BPAA Women’s Open.

 

World Bowling Writers

 

     There are also members of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame that never rolled a ball down the lan professionally.  This section of the hall of fame is reseved for the best bowling writers of all time. The World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame opened in 1993. The members of the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame have dedicated thier lives to covering the sport.  Some of the most famous members are: 

Gosta Algeskog, Sweden (2001)

Lynda Barnes, United States (2007)

Philippe Dubois, France (1994)

Cara Honeychurch, Australia (1998)

Asa Larsson, Sweden (1996)

Edda Piccini, Mexico (1999)

Cheng-Ming Yang, Taiwan (1996)

Les Zikes, United States (1999)

http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/wbw.asp[7]

 

Criteria for Election

 

     There is a strict process that is followed in order to select a World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame member.  WBW hall of famers must accumulate a minimum of 15 points in any of the following four international competitions:

The Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) adult World Championships

The Bowling World Cup

The Fderation Internationales des Quilleurs (FIQ) adult Zone Masters Championship

The Olympic Games

There are two categories of entrants, men and women.  Voters cast one vote in each category, and the man and woman who recive the most votes are elected to the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bowling_Hall_of_Fame[8]

 

 

 

 

 

Footnotes

  1. http://ezinearticles.com/?Bowling-Hall-of-Fame&id=1498274
  2. http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/
  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional Bowlers Assosciation
  4. http://www.hickoksports.com/history/bowlhof.shtml
  5. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en-us&tbs=tl:1&q=celebrities%20hall%20of%20fame&ei=D-KmSrziLoGEMpmShKgI&sa=X&oi=toolbelt timline result&resnum=10&ct=timeline-snppet&cd=1
  6. http://www.pba.com/players/hof/playerbio.asp?ID=6
  7. http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/wbw.asp
  8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International Bowling Hall of Fame