The American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame was founded in 1941, becoming the third oldest sports shrine, following baseball in 1936 and golf in 1940.
Halls of Fame in all sports create plenty of interest and controversy based on who gets in and who doesn’t and almost every sport boasts a hall.
It’s a good bet that bowling has more Halls of Fame than any other or sport. No exact count exists but there probably are 800 or more bowling Halls at different levels around the world. Don’t be too amazed by so many. At its peak bowling had 3,009 men and 2,910 women’s local bowling associations. Once the ABC Hall was established many of these groups liked the concept and started local, state and regional Halls.
Hall of Fame committees number from three people to dozens and induction ceremonies range from lavish dinners to brief presentations during meetings or prior to tournaments. Those honored are remembered proudly with plaques or displays in bowling centers or at local association offices.
After years of planning, searching for the proper site and fund raising, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame was were opened in 1984 in St. Louis. There, ABC Hall of Famers were represented by bronze busts, Women’s International Bowling Congress members featured in painted ‘portraits and Professional Bowlers Association Hall members depicted in drawings by some of the nation’s leading artists, including the Record’s Charlie McGill.
The Hall and Museum, now a part of the bowling campus in Arlington, Texas, recently opened to the public. Visit if you ever have the opportunity.
Some sports Halls add more than a dozen new members each year while others go years without adding any. The same is true in bowling because there are no set rules and they vary greatly in how they choose new members.
There was one association years ago that staged an annual picnic. To boost ticket sales they gave each ticket buyer a vote in the annual Hall of fame election. That kind of gimmick is long gone and most Halls have solid procedures. The USBC has one of the best.
The USBC Hall of Fame Board has 18 members, six Hall of Famers, six members of the media, the Bowling Writers Association of America, and six USBC officials. Terms are staggered, guaranteeing new members and some new thinking each year.
The board elects the new Hall of Famers in the meritorious and veteran categories. It also comes up with the candidates for the performance classification. Those candidates are then voted on by a panel of more than 100 experts from every area of bowling.
The system works well and many local groups have copied this type of committee.
Bowling competitors start very young and retire real old. Therefore there are many young bowlers in the PBA Hall of Fame. Many in their 30s have 20 years of competition, and few ever really retire.
Threats to win on the pro tour any week include dozens of young, and old members of various national halls.
