ARLINGTON, Texas – The United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame will have at least two new members when the 2021 class is inducted, and it will mark the first time a husband and wife will be enshrined in the same year.
The USBC Hall of Fame Committee recently elected Bill and Barbara Chrisman of Pleasant View, Utah, in the Meritorious Service category. They will be the seventh husband and wife overall to be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Chrismans being elected, the USBC Hall of Fame Committee selected seven bowlers – five men and two women – for the Superior Performance ballot that will be distributed to a national panel of USBC Hall of Fame members, USBC Board members and veteran bowling writers.
Selected for the men’s national ballot are Dave Ferraro of Kingston, New York; Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas; Randy Pedersen of Orlando, Florida; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas; and Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas.
Named to the women’s national ballot are Sandra Jo Shiery of Coldwater, Michigan, and Tammy Turner of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Over more than three decades, the Chrismans have used their positions and success as co-founders of Storm Products, Inc., one of bowling’s premier manufacturers, to have an immeasurable impact in the sport beyond just the production of balls, bags, shoes and accessories for Storm, Roto Grip and now 900 Global.
Together, the two have supported bowling, particularly women’s bowling, through sponsorships of countless bowlers and bowling tournaments across the globe, including the USBC Senior Queens, National Golden Ladies Classic and the Professional Bowlers Association/Professional Women’s Bowling Association Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles.
Storm Bowling also has sponsored numerous youth and other events, but supporting the tournaments for women has been a major part of Barbara’s mission, as she always has been supportive of women’s bowling as a competitor and a fan. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Singapore Women’s International Coaching Symposium.
As a member of the USBC Board of Directors from 2005-2011, Barbara Chrisman served on the Financial Committee and Legal and Legislative Committee. She also helped establish the Diversity Committee.
Before the Storm brand came to be in 1991, along with the company’s first bowling balls, Bill Chrisman’s High Score Products was in its sixth year as a one-product company, producing U Clean/U Score Urethane Bowling Ball Cleaner.
Under his leadership, Storm has been a leading innovator, introducing such things as bowling balls with distinctive fragrances.
Individually, Bill Chrisman also has served the sport at the association level, spending time as a director on the Ogden (Utah) Bowling Association Board from 1981-1989. He was inducted into the association’s hall of fame for superior performance in 1994 and was inducted into the Utah State USBC Hall of Fame in 2005 for meritorious service.
His efforts and determination earned him special recognition from USBC in 2014 – the Joyce Deitch Unity Award – given to individuals who have made important contributions to bowling as motivators, visionaries, leaders and innovators.
But, as much as bowling has benefitted from their individual dedication, the Chrismans likely will be remembered for their collective contributions and the role their company has played in the future of the sport.
As a team, the Chrismans have received numerous honors from the bowling industry, including the 2016 International Bowling Media Association Alberta E. Crowe Meritorious Service Award, 2014 Billiard and Bowling Institute of America’s Industry Service Award in recognition of their contribution to the promotion of the sport, 2003 William Landgraf Memorial Award for Distinguished Service and the 2003 John Davis Award Memorial Award.
They also have made numerous charitable contributions, including donating to Susan G. Komen Bowl for the Cure, BPAA Hall of Fame Xtravaganza, International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame and Weber State University.
Along with the 2021 inductees, the six members of the 2020 USBC Hall of Fame Class also are awaiting their time in the spotlight.
The six bowlers were slated for induction in 2020, before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 USBC Convention in Las Vegas, along with all supporting activities and events.
The 2020 class includes Marianne DiRupo of Succasunna, New Jersey, and Patrick Allen of Garfield, New Jersey, in the Superior Performance category, Patrick Healey Jr. (USBC Outstanding Performance), Bob Learn Jr. (Veterans) and Andrew Cain and Jim Zebehazy (both in Meritorious Service).
Complete details for both the 2020 and 2021 USBC Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be forthcoming, based on recommendations and restrictions due to COVID-19.
Through 2019, there are 432 members of the USBC Hall of Fame – 223 in Superior Performance, 120 in Meritorious Service, 51 in Veterans, 22 in Pioneer and 16 in Outstanding USBC Performance.
The USBC Hall of Fame was created in 2005 by merging the former American Bowling Congress and Women’s International Bowling Congress Halls of Fame.
Visit BOWL.com/HallofFame for more information on the USBC Hall of Fame.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,555 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
