1941: Bowling

So rapidly has the game of tenpin bowling created new adherents that it has become the leading participative sport of the Western Hemisphere. Figures quoted in many newspapers throughout the United States during the past season reveal that Americans spend more money for tenpin bowling than for any other leisure activity, with the single exception of attendance at motion pictures.

This stupendous growth of interest in the game and the great increase in its following may be attributed, partially, to the amazing numbers in which women, high school and college students have taken to bowling. The organization in May 1941, of the American High School Bowling Congress is an outstanding contribution to the welfare of American youth and constitutes a warm compliment to the proprietors of tenpin bowling establishments who have elevated the standards of their recreation centers to such a degree that high school boys and girls, women and small children and countless Church groups invade them nightly to take part in the healthful recreation.

While the membership of the American Bowling Congress, governing body for men's bowling, is now roughly placed at 1,000,000 and that of the Women's International Bowling Congress at 150,000, the total of men, women and children tenpin bowlers in the Western Hemisphere is estimated to exceed 16,000,000.

Organized bowling, however, under the guidance of the American Bowling Congress and the Women's International Bowling Congress continues to have a most steadying effect upon the game and their annual tournaments and their thousands of leagues are still the ambition and the goal of the beginner bowler.

Industry has contributed heavily to the ranks of ABC-sanctioned bowlers and nearly every manufacturing or business concern has several intramural tenpin leagues in operation. Among the largest of these are the Douglas Aircraft Corp. League, the Lockheed Aircraft Corp. League and the Southern California Telco Bowling Association League, all located in California, each of which is comprised of more than 100 five-man teams. The 86-team Catholic League of Philadelphia, however, is the largest league bowling simultaneously under one roof.

Tenpin bowling added immeasurably to its fund of knowledge of its own history during the season 1940-1941 with the discovery by Sir Flinders Petrie, famed Egyptologist of the University of London, of a game similar to tenpins found in the grave of an Egyptian child, authentically placed at 5200 bc This antedates by some 5,000 years all previous accurate information on the game's existence. It also adds greatly to the historical treasure trove being compiled by the American Bowling Congress.

The 41st annual tournament of the American Bowling Congress to determine world's champions among men was held in St. Paul, Minn., in the spring of 1941. This huge event was conducted upon 40 specially-constructed tenpin lanes, attracted an entry of 5,797 five-man teams and lasted 56 consecutive days and nights. The tournament produced the following winners: Team — Vogel Brothers, Forest Park, Ill., 3,065; Doubles — William Lee (579) and Ray Farness (767), Madison, Wis., 1,346; Singles — Fred Ruff, Belleville, Ill., 745; All-Events — Harold Kelly, South Bend, Ind., 2,013. The ABC tournament for 1942 is scheduled to be held in Columbus, Ohio, and an entry of 7,000 teams is anticipated.

The Women's International Bowling Congress tournament held in Los Angeles in 1941 drew 1,015 five-woman teams and produced the following champions: Team — Rovick Bowling Shoes, Chicago, Ill., 2,661; Doubles — Jo Pittenger and Mary Jane Hogan, Los Angeles, Calif., 1,155; Singles — Nancy Huff, Los Angeles, Calif., 662; All-Events — Sally Twyford, Chicago, Ill., 1,799. The WIBC tournament for 1942 is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wis.

Ned Day, youthful Milwaukee bowler, was successful in the defense of his national match game title, defeating Lowell Jackson, St. Louis, in a series of 160 games contested in Santa Monica, Calif., Indianapolis, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago. John Crimmins, Detroit, was the winner of a round-robin tournament, conducted in Chicago, and will challenge Day for his championship next year (1942).

1940: Bowling

The history of bowling dates back to our primeval days when cavemen are known to have played a game called 'Sheeps' Joyntes' which consisted of the throwing of small-sized stones at the joint bones stuck into the ground. Credit for having originated the more modern version of the sport, however, is divided between the natives of Northern Italy and the Polonysians of the South Sea Islands where variations of the game are still played.

Other forms of the sport were enjoyed, so historians tell us, by kings and paupers alike. The kings of England were especially impressed with bowles and were often found engaged in the game with members of their court. Martin Luther, Charlemagne and Sir Francis Drake are other notables with whom the pastime found exceeding favor.

The game of tenpins, however, actually originated in the United States, bowling being brought to this country by the Dutch as ninepins. The game rapidly digressed and was contaminated by a gambling element whose influence state legislators of New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut sought to eliminate by placing a ban on ninepins. The bowlers circumvented this move by adding an extra pin and, there being no law against tenpins, proceeded with their activities without interruptions.

Attempts to elevate the game of bowling failed consistently until 1895. In that year, a group of sportsmen who had taken the game to heart, organized the American Bowling Congress in a meeting held in Beethoven Hall, New York City. From that time forward, the progress of the game has been marked. Not only has bowling been taken from the saloon and placed in the wholesome environment of the modern tenpin establishment, but women and children are rapidly becoming frequent visitors to bowling centers and are enjoying the benefits of the sport in ever-increasing numbers.

The chief contribution of the American Bowling Congress to date has been the accomplishment of a uniformity of rules and playing conditions and a strict policing of the game, which has resulted in the building of a sport now ranked as the leading participative game. Today nearly 20,000,000 men, women and children of the Western Hemisphere bowl, either in sanctioned leagues or in open play.

The American Bowling Congress annually conducts a tournament for its members. This event, which was begun in 1901 when 41 teams were entered, last season drew 6,073 teams at Detroit. The 1941 tournament is scheduled to be held in St. Paul, Minn.

The world's champions for the 1939-40 season as determined by the ABC at Detroit are as follows: Singles — Raymond Brown, Terre Haute, Ind., 742; Doubles — Herbert Freitag, Joe Sinke, Chicago, Ill., 1,346; All Events — Fred Fischer, Buffalo, N. Y., 2,001; Team — Monarch Beer, Chicago, Ill., 3,047.

The national match-game champion is Ned Day, West Allis, Wis., who won the tournament conducted by the Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

Champions for the 1939-40 season, as determined by the annual tournament of the Women's International Bowling Congress, conducted at Syracuse, N. Y., are as follows: Singles — Sally Twyford, Chicago, Ill., 626; Doubles — Tess Morris, Dorothy Miller, Chicago, Ill., 1,181; All Events — Tess Morris, Chicago, Ill., 1,777; Team — Logan Square Buicks, Chicago, Ill., 2,689.

1939: Bowling

As far back as man has record, evidence of some phase of bowling has been discovered. The more modern game, however, is believed to have been begun in Northern Italy. The present-day game of bocci ball, an Italian sport, is a direct descendant. In the United States bowling is as old as the nation itself, older, in fact. For it was practiced by the early settlers on these shores and the skill and aptitude which they achieved in knocking down pins (there were but nine in those days) proved to be the game's eventual downfall.

The State of Massachusetts first banned bowling because it did not come up to its Puritanical requirements for entertainment. Shortly thereafter, Massachusetts, together with New York and Connecticut, declared bowling illegal for a much more tangible reason — gambling. But no sooner did the law against ninepins take effect, than devotees added a tenth pin, there being no law against tenpins, and playing continued with betting unabated — but in a 'back room' environment.

It was not until 1890 that a movement was made to lift the sport from the gutter. On the evening of Sept. 9, 1895, a group of high-minded persons met in old Beethoven Hall in New York City with one purpose in mind — to make bowling as clean and grand a sport as ever prospered. The result was the founding of the American Bowling Congress.

That those who organized the Congress so many years ago had the right ideas is clearly reflected in the present constitution of the American Bowling Congress which, while larger from many additions, contains the identical expressions and is dedicated to the same purpose. Alterations in the original constitution were made only at the dictates of changing social and economic conditions.

The Congress, since its inception, has insisted on the uniformity of all bowling rules and regulations and of all dimensions and specifications respecting bowling balls and alleys. All bowling alleys certified by the Congress must be the same length, the same width, must have the same gutter depth and be free of depressions over 40/1000ths of an inch. All pin spots must be exactly 12 in, apart and many other minute details must be made to coincide with Congress specifications. A bowling ball may not weigh over 16 pounds or be over 27 in, in circumference. All other laws pertaining to the game are likewise regulated by the Congress.

As the game increased in popularity and bowling establishments were cleaned up, women became frequenters of tenpin resorts. Now over a million American women bowl; their game is supervised by the Women's International Bowling Congress. Their presence has effected a remarkable change, and the modern alley is a marble-halled palace compared with its prototype.

One of the purposes of the Congress, to promote good fellowship, is accomplished through the staging of annual tournaments: one national, conducted by the Congress, the others city and state. The Congress first tournament, held in Chicago in 1901, drew 41 teams. Compare that figure with the 2,443 teams which competed in the 1930 classic in Cleveland; or with the more than 5,000 expected at Detroit when the 1940 Tournament opens on March 7.

The regulation and sanction of leagues and teams has brought about a most hearty increase in numbers just in late years. Where in 1930 the Congress was composed of 4,806 leagues, 1940's figures show 14,195; and where there were 43,901 teams represented in these leagues in 1930, today teams total 125,000.

The American Bowling Congress has affiliations in Shanghai, China, Mexico City, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. It has helped the spread of bowling. Until the current season, when war forced its cancellation, a huge international bowling tournament had been held in Europe every three years. This year's tournament was scheduled for Helsingfors, capital of Finland.

Taken out of the 'back room' classification and placed in pleasant and wholesome surroundings, bowling has become a social function — and the pastime of 15,000,000 Americans.

Champions for 1939, at the 39th Bowling Congress held in Cleveland, Ohio, March 9 to May 5, were as follows: Singles — James Danek, 730; All-events — Joe Wilman, 2,028; Doubles — Murray Fowler, Philip Icuss, 1,405.

Champions for 1939, at the 22nd Annual Women's International Bowling Congress held in Oklahoma City, Okla., during April and May, were as follows: Singles — Helen Helngstler, 626; All-events — Ruth Troy, 1,724; Doubles — Connie Powers and Bobby Reus, 1,130; Five-women team — Kornitz Pure Oil, 2,618.

1938: Bowling

In the thirty-ninth annual American Bowling Congress's classic championship exhibitions, held in Chicago from March 3 to April 19, nearly 25,000 bowlers representing almost every section of the United States as well as Canada and Hawaii gathered to compete for the American Bowling titles, $198,000 and diamond medals.

The outstanding bowlers of the tournament were the five-man team winners, the Birk Brothers Brewing Company team of Chicago, composed of George Geiser, Jules Lellinger, Leo Krisch, George Notz and Joseph Traubenik. This team captured the five-man team championship, a $1,000 prize, diamond medals and the all-time high point total of 3,234, thirty-five points higher than the former record posted by the Tea Shops team of Milwaukee eleven years earlier.

In the doubles competition, Donald Johnson and Fonnie Snyder of Indianapolis won the championship and a $500 prize with a score of 1,337 points. The Singles event (a total of three games) was captured by Knute Anderson of Moline, Ill. with a score of 746 points. Anderson received $300 prize money. In the All-events total, Donald Beatty of Jackson, Mich., scored 1,948 points to win the title and a $200 prize. The high score for a single game was achieved by Michael Blazek with a perfect score of 300 points. This score has only been achieved five times in all the thirty-eight years and 2,000,000 games of the American Bowling Congress Championships.

The American Bowling Congress announced that next year's tournament would be held in Cleveland, Ohio.