USBC Hall of Fame

USBC Pioneer Hall of Fame

Known as the voice of the black bowling community of the Greater Detroit area, Allen devoted a lifetime to service in his community in a multitude of ways. An outstanding bowler, he became one of the great sponsors of individuals, teams and leagues. His sponsorship fame became national in 1951 when he entered his Allen Supermarket team in the ABC Tournament in St. Paul. It was the first black team to bowl in the ABC following the rescinding of the Caucasian-Only clause in 1950.

FRANK BRIELL
New York City
Born: March 28, 1864
Died: Nov. 19, 1944
Inducted 1996

Briell was the first national champion as he won the 1901 ABC Tournament singles and all-events in Chicago. He was a member of the first team to tour the country, the Linden Groves, which was organized by ABC Secretary Samuel Karpf. He averaged a then-astounding 196 for 10 games to win the New York Herald Tournament.

MARTHA BURTON
Washington, D.C.
Born: Feb. 14, 1913
Died: Aug. 7, 2006
Inducted 2008

Burton fell in love with bowling as a young woman who was invited by friends to bowl with them on lanes in St. Christopher’s Church in Chicago. She bowled through a career as a kindergarten teacher, a riveter helping build airplanes during World War II and as a volunteer with the U.S. Signal Corps. She didn’t realize bowling had closed its doors to minorities until she was transferred to Washington, D.C., early in the 1940s and her Masonic Temple league’s application for ABC/WIBC membership was politely refused in a letter noting that membership was open only to Caucasians. Burton’s vow to never set foot on a bowling lane again proved to be a hollow promise. After discovering The National Bowling Association, an organization founded by African-American bowlers, she became a TNBA advocate and a force in encouraging African-Americans to take up bowling for the next five decades. When ABC/WIBC took down their racial barriers, she became the first black woman delegate to the WIBC annual meeting. She was the only black woman among the founders of the Virginia Women’s B.A., and she served as a women’s and youth association leader for decades. Burton was the first recipient of TNBA’s Mary Wilkes Award and she was granted WIBC member emerita status in 1997.

REV. CHARLES CAROW
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Born: Jan. 2, 1908
Died: Sept. 20, 1970
Inducted 1995

Father Carow was heavily involved in conducting a bowling program for the Catholic Youth Organization in the New York City area. He became a New York City Bowling Association Director and later an ABC Convention delegate who pleaded with ABC to open its membership to minorities in the late 1940s. The Caucasian-Only rule was changed in 1950.

SYDNEY CELESTINE
Chicago
Born: Nov. 11, 1900
Died: March 1, 1983
Inducted 1993

Celestine helped lead the fight to force the ABC to eliminate the rule that had been adopted in 1915-16 limiting membership in the organization to members of the Caucasian race. Although noted for his calm, sensible, diplomatic approach to the membership problem, he never waivered in his determination that the rule had to be removed from the books. Many honors came to Celestine in recognition of his role in obtaining eradication of the rule. The one he most treasured was his being the first electee in 1980 to The National Bowling Association Hall of Fame.

THOMAS CURTIS
New York
Born: Jan. 3, 1827
Died: Aug. 21, 1905
Inducted 1993

Generally regarded as the Father of Bowling, Curtis was elected as the first ABC President in 1895. He was hailed as the originator of the tournament concept in the 1880s and was involved in center management and ownership. Even before ABC was organized, Curtis was credited with writing the first set of bowling rules in 1875.

ERIC DEFREITAS
New York
Born: Aug. 5, 1908
Died: May 2, 1998
Inducted 1994

DeFreitas was the first black bowler to become a member of the AMF Staff of Champions, and one of the first black members of the Professional Bowlers Association. He has been deeply involved in all phases of bowling, as a bowler, pioneer organizer and instructor, public relations man, fighter for fairness in bowling and elsewhere, and was a student, teacher and historian. He was instrumental in the formation of numerous junior leagues and tournaments, guided many young black bowlers into better competition and the pros and was an outstanding role model because of his many charitable, civic and church involvements.

WILLIAM HALL SR.
Omaha, Neb.
Born: March 2, 1910
Died: April 7, 2002
Inducted 1994

Hall made his mark on the sport through his constant search for black bowling history. In 1970 Hall earned the honor of which he was most proud, election as the first African-American to the ABC Board of Directors. He served for 16 active years, then became an Honorary member in 1986. He was one of the leaders in the fight to force the ABC to rescind its limiting of membership to Caucasians.

HIROTO HIRASHIMA
Kaneohe, Hawaii
Born: July 11, 1910
Inducted 1995

Hirashima led the sport through difficult times in Hawaii and eventually became the first minority ABC Director in 1963. He organized nine teams for the 1954 ABC Tournament in Seattle, the first Japanese-Americans to compete in the event. ABC invited him to become more involved in activites and eventually he was elected an ABC Director.

SAMUEL KARPF
Dayton, Ohio
Born: April 23, 1886
Died: Nov. 9, 1923
Inducted 1993

As ABC's first Secretary, Karpf added credibility and direction to that position, even challenging the rights of ABC President Thomas Curtis to unilaterally rule on the eligibility of players during the first season of the Congress. While not being in total agreement on all matters, he helped find compromise to overcome many challenges to the rules, such as the number of pins, how many players on a team, how many balls per frame and lane measurements.

HENRY MOORE
Dunning, Neb.
Born: 1908
Died: Feb. 5, 1966
Inducted 1996

Moore was the inventor of the plastic-coated bowling pin. He once was a Nebraska chicken farmer who went into bowling pin restoration in the days of wooden pins. The automatic pinsetter cut pin life to a maximum of 500 lines, and because of the scarcity of maple for the pins after World War II, there was a need for a substitute. After lengthy tests of more than one million games, his plastic-coated pin was approved by ABC in 1962.

FRANK PASDELOUP
Chicago
Born: 1866
Died: Jan. 15, 1938
Inducted 1993

Pasdeloup was credited with cementing the East vs. West battle within the ABC by giving up the Presidency three hours after being elected in 1902. His contribution at that time was recognized the following year when he was elected ABC Treasurer, a position he held until he died in 1938. His name was honored for years by the ABC Tournament when the team all-events trophy was awarded in his honor.

BILL RHODMAN
Detroit
Born: April 6, 1914
Died: 1961
Inducted 1997

Rhodman was perhaps the top black competitor in the Detroit area and the nation at a time when he and fellow blacks could not join ABC. The Congress Constitution was amended in 1951 removing white from its membership requirements. Two years later, Rhodman was a member of the first all-black team to participate in the ABC Tournament. He was elected to the Hall for his efforts in expanding the interest in bowling within his ethnic group as well as youngsters. He also was an accomplished instructor, promoter and competitor.

MASAO SATOW
Los Angeles
Born: 1908
Died: March 3, 1976
Inducted 1994

Satow is regarded by his peers as the individual who worked the hardest and accomplished the most for Japanese-American bowling in the U.S. He overcame World War II internment and played a major role in establishing the national championship for Nisei bowlers in 1947. When interest in the event waned as non-whites were admitted to ABC membership in 1950, Satow led the drive to save it and helped guide it for 25 years. Now the event is under the direction of the Japanese-American Bowling Association.

LOUIS SCHUTTE
New York
Born: Not Available
Died: Aug. 12, 1916
Inducted 1993

As the publisher of The (New York) Bowlers Journal, Schutte played a strong role in the sport in the late 1800s covering all aspects of the sport. Through editorials he continuously urged the formation of a national membership and rules making organization. This helped prompt ABC's founding, and Schutte continued his support of the organization, offsetting opposition from other sources.

ROKURO (FUZZY) SHIMADA
Fremont, Calif.
Born: Oct. 26, 1921
Died: Feb. 8, 2007
Inducted 1997

Shimada devoted his career to leadership of the sport within his ethnic group. A strong bowler who was barred from ABC membership because of the Caucasian-Only rule, Shimada was instrumental in promoting the sport to Japanese-Americans. He shared his knowledge as an instructor and promoter throughout California and helped organize the National Japanese-American tournament where he won 13 titles in 43 years of participation. He has five top 10 ABC Tournament finishes and three times won the Northern California BPAA match play crown.

LOUIS STEIN
New York City
Born: Sept. 4, 1858
Died: Oct. 3, 1949
Inducted 1997

Stein far outlived his fellow ABC founding fathers, but is best known for waging a tough battle in the first ABC meeting in 1895 to make 12 consecutive strikes a 300 game, rather than continuing with 200 as the maximum. Stein himself eventually achieved perfection seven times. For many years he operated a six-lane center near Times Square.

WILLIAM THOMPSON
Chicago
Born: April 25, 1863
Died: Sept. 30, 1938
Inducted 1993

A top bowler and premier organizer in his native Chicago, Thompson was best known as a bowling official, promoter, innovator, writer and visionary. In 1904 the Bowling Encyclopedia said: Few in tenpin history have equaled Mr. Thompson's combination of skills as a bowler, leader and administrator. A bowling equipment expert familiar with fair playing rules, he called for uniformity. He built the first regulation alleys in Chicago's Plaza Hotel in 1893.

DR. HENRY TIMM
New York
Born: Oct. 21, 1851
Died: Aug. 12, 1923
Inducted 1993

As ABC's second President, Timm was as instrumental in establishing the fledgling organization's acceptance and stability as anyone. He strongly supported the rules and specifications approved at the first ABC Convention, having helped frame them during his association (from 1875-1915) with the United Bowling Clubs, an important New York City group.