US Lawn Bowls Hall of Fame

SKIP ARCULLI Essex County (NJ) 1999

Skip Arculli won the World Pairs Championship (gold medal) at Aberdeen, Scotland in 1984 (w/George Adrian). He also played on the U.S. World Bowls teams in 1988 (New Zealand) and 1996 (Australia). Skip appeared in nine United States Championships events representing the Eastern Division and holds four titles. He had Singles victories in 1978, 1981 and 1995; and won the U.S. Pairs crown in 1983 (w/J. Candelet). His other appearances in the U.S. Championships were in 1979, 1981 and 1990. A National Open "Triple Crown" champion, Skip won the Open Singles in 1981, the Open Pairs in 1978 and 1983, and the Open Triples in 1983 and 1985. He was named National Open "Bowler of the Tournament" in 1978 (tie), 1981 and 1983. Skip represented the United States in various major international competitions, including the Asia-Pacific Championships in 1993 (Victoria, BC). Born in Hong Kong, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1973, Skip served on the ALBA National Council 1984 to 1988, during which time he also managed the ALBA Memorial Foundation portfolio.
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IRMA ARTIST

Irma Artist began lawn bowling in 1972 and has quite a number of bowling titles to her credit. Along with her partner, Pat Boehm, she won the National Open Tournament Pairs Title in 1975 and again 1977. Wins included the Greater Victoria Open, the Vancouver Silver Medallion Open, at least five National and five Divisional championships, and five State Championships. Irma competed in World Bowls at Worthing, England as a member of Team USA in 1976 and competed in the U.S. Championships in 1977. In the year 1978 alone she won the Southwest Division Singles and the Northwest Division Triples, was runner-up in the Division USC Playdowns, and was named Bowler of the Tournament in a PIMD Division tournament.Irma Artist contributed much time and effort to the sport by being PIMD Tournament Director on six occasions. She was Councilor from the PIM Division to the American Women's Lawn Bowls Association from 1980 through 1982. At other times Irma served at Club Delegate from both the Rossmoor and Berkeley clubs. Further she served several years on the PIMD Division Review Board, the National Review Board, and on the AWLBA Nominating Committee.Irma's husband of nearly 70 years was Hall of Famer, Orville Artist.
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ORVILLE ARTIST Leisure Town, Berkeley, Rossmoor (CA) 1999

Orville Artist was a National Open Tournament "Triple Crown" champion (a winner of all three Open events): Open Singles in 1986, 1987; Open Pairs 1981, 1984; Open Triples in 1983. He was "Bowler of the Tournament" at the 1987 National Open. Orville appeared in seven United States Championships events between 1977 and 1988, winning the Singles in 1977 and the Pairs (w/J. Shepard) in 1988. He was a member of the 1984 USA World Bowls Team, and represented the U.S. at the 1985 and 1987 Asia-Pacific Championships. He served the Pacific Inter-Mountain Division in various capacities, including Division president, as a National Councilor, and a member of the ALBA Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. California-born, he began bowling in 1972 and was active at several Northern California bowling clubs until his death, including Leisure Town (Vacaville), Berkeley and Rossmoor (Walnut Creek). Orville's wife of nearly 70 years, Irma, shares in the honor of a membership in the USLBA Hall of Fame.
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MICHAEL ASHTON-PHILLIPS Beverly Hills, Holmby Park (CA) 2002

A frequent winner in the tournament rich Southwest Division, and perennial fixture on annual All-Southwest Teams of the 1990s, Michael Ashton-Phillips was selected to the U.S. National Team every year from 1994 to 2001. Although business responsibilities occasionally interfered with his bowls career, Michael represented the U.S. at the Asia-Pacific Championships, North American Challenge, and several international invitational tournaments. He also served as Team USA Manager three times: 1993 Asia-Pacific Championships (Victoria, BC), 1996 World Bowls (Australia), 1997 Asia-Pacific Championships (Australia), and was Assistant Team Manager at the 1992 World Bowls (England). The British-born Los Angeles bowler represented the Southwest Division at the 1993 and 1995 U.S. Championships Pairs finals, with partner Mert Isaacman. Michael was president of the Southwest Division 1992-1993, having served in vice-presidential capacities the previous three years. He was elected a SWD national Councilor in 1991 and represented the division throughout the 90s. Early on, he was by far the most successful representative of ALBA interests in developing productive working relationships with AWLBA. Within the division and on the national level there was scarcely an important committee that the ebullient "MAP", as he often answered to, was not either its chairperson or a member. His major commitments were directed to the annual National Open Tournaments, which he chaired most years during the 1990s, and the growth and development, in general, of the sport of bowls. Michael created the ALBA-AWLBA National Recruiting Awards and popular Super Shots Club. But his most ambitious project was ALBA Marketing, a broad promotional undertaking created and managed by MAP. Although the concept never quite realized its full potential, it nonetheless added to the culture of American lawn bowling and improved the promise of the sport within the U.S. Although an Englishman, Michael learned to bowl at the Beverly Hills LBC (California), and later added memberships at Holmby Park, Santa Monica, and several other SWD clubs.
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ANNE BARBER Beverly Hills (CA) 2006

Anne has had a very long and successful lawn bowling career since she started lawn bowling in South Africa in 1964. Anne represented South Africa where she achieved numerous titles. She competed in the South Africa Women's Masters Singles Championship no less than eight times. Starting in 1970 Anne managed to compete in virtually every major women's championship the country had to offer before emigrating to the United States in 1986. She became a member of TEAM USA in 1992, and played as a world class bowler for six consectutive years on the international scene. Other accomplishments included:

Competed in United States Championships on 7 occasions (winning on 2)
Won a title in the National Open Tournament on at least 8 occasions
Won Southwest Division titles on 10 occasions
Won South-Central Division titles on 4 occasions

In service to the Southwest Division, Anne Barber served as president of her club and as a delegate to the Southwest Division council.
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MARY ANN BECKLEY (WA) 2003

Oregon-born Ann Beckley learned to lawn bowl at the Woodland Park in Seattle in 1983 while she was completing her service as a Commander in the Navy. When she retired from the Navy she searched throughout the West for the best place to lawn bowl all year long, and settled on Leisure World in Laguna Hills, CA within driving distance of seven other bowling facilities. She was selected to bowl on the National Women's team in 1989 when they competed in the Pacific Games in Fiji. She was also on the National Team at Hong Kong in 1991, Ayr, Scotland in 1992, and Canada in 1993. She also bowled on every U.S. National Open from 1985 through 1996. Ann was a fierce competitor who worked constantly to improve her game. Ann died of cancer in 1998 at the age of 60.
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JACK BEHLING, Milwaukee Lake Park (WI), Sun City (AZ) 2007

Jack Behling was elected ALBA “Bowler of the Decade” for the 1990’s. At the USLBA National Open Jack has succeeded in every discipline: winning the Fours in 2006, the Triples in 1998, the Pairs in 1991 and 1992, and finishing second in the 2003 singles. At the US Championships he won the Pairs in 1995 and the Singles in 2006. As a member of team USA for fifteen years, Jack competed in the Asia Pacific games in New Zealand and Malaysia and at World Bowls in the UK, Australia, and Scotland. Jack is always willing to help other players-whether novice or veteran. He is keenly interested in all aspects of bowls and has served as Central Division Councilor and Milwaukee Lake Park LBC greenskeeper. Jack currently resides in Sun City, Arizona.
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MURIAL "PAT" BOEHM (WA) 2002

Muriel "Pat" Boehm was a founding member of the old American Women's Lawn Bowls Association, its vice president for four years, and its third president. She served on the AWLBA Council from the Northwest Division for 10 years.

Pat was a great bowler in appearing in the United States Championships 12 times, and winning it in Singles three times (1977, 1978, and 1980) and in Pairs in 1979. In the National Open Tournament, she won titles in Singles, Pairs, and/or Triples almost every year in the decade from 1971 to 1981. On occasion Pat partnered with Hall of Famer, Irma Artist.

Pat was on our Women's National Team in New Zealand in 1973, in England in 1977, in Canada in 1981, and in Australia in 1985. She managed women's national teams at the Pacific Rim Games in Fiji in 1989, World Bowls in Scotland in 1992, and at the Atlantic Rim Games in Sun City Center, Florida in 1993. Now inactive, Pat lives in Grapeview, Washington.
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FERRELL BURTON, JR. Santa Monica, Holmby Park, Beverly Hills (CA) 1998

Ferrell Burton, Jr. was Editor of BOWLS Magazine, the quarterly publication of the American Lawn Bowls Association, from 1978 to 1992, and Editor Emeritus until his passing in September 2000. He served ALBA and the ALBA Memorial Foundation as its Secretary-Treasurer from 1976 to 1982. FB Jr. created numerous bowls-related publications, usually at his own expense, including the ALBA Almanac and Directory of Clubs in the United States. He also published such staples the Laws of the Game, the lawn bowling rule book, as well as monthly and quarterly newsletters for many bowling clubs, and letterhead stationery for a variety of ALBA officers and committee-heads. During one period, he was at the same time: ALBA National Secretary-Treasurer, ALBA Memorial Foundation Treasurer, Editor of BOWLS Magazine, President of the Santa Monica (CA) LBC, Southwest Division National Councilor, and SWD Correspondent to BOWLS Magazine. ALBA Councilors bestowed Honorary Life Member status on Ferrell in 1987. He took up the game in 1974, and was a social bowler who championed competitive excellence. His club memberships included the Santa Monica, Holmby Park and Beverly Hills LBCs, all on Los Angeles' Westside. Ferrell met the future Mrs. Dorothy Burton on the bowling green.
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SHIRLEY CAM Rossmoor, Oakland (CA)

Shirley was a strong supporter of Lawn Bowling in the U.S. and in World Bowls. For many years she attended overseas tournaments to which we sent our National Teams. She also served as a team manager for Team USA. Shirley was elected the first woman president of the Rossmoor LBC in 1991. She was also the president of AWLBA in 1995 & 1996. She was Treasurer of the newly formed USLBA in 2002. She also served as the National Games Chairman and as a National Games Consultant. Shirley participated in many National & PIMD Opens and in the U.S. Championships. She also was the codirector of the last two U.S. Championships held in the PIMD at the Rossmoor LBC, her home club. Shirley is probably most remembered for the continuous insight and leadership she gave to the PIM Division.In 2005 Shirley resigned from the many positions she still held at the time due to a terminal illness.
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JAMES CANDELET St. Petersburg (FL), Pawtucket (RI) 1998

Jim Candelet won seven U.S. Championships titles: Singles in 1961, 1966, 1971, 1980; Pairs in 1959 (w/R. Smart), 1968 (w/R. Smart), 1983 (w/Skip Arculli). In all, he qualified for ALBA's premier annual event 14 times. His collection of U.S. Championships gold medals rank third all-time (tie w/Willis Tewksbury) Jim also registered six National Open victories: Pairs in 1970; Triples in 1964, 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1982. He skipped every event. He was a member of the USA's first World Bowls team in 1966 (in Sydney), as well as the 1972 (Worthing, England), 1976 (Johannesburg), 1984 (Aberdeen, Scot) World Bowls teams, and managed the U.S. contingent in 1980 (Frankston, Australia). At the 1972 event, Jim and partner, Willis Tewksbury, won the silver medal in Pairs. Four years later, he teamed with Frank Souza and Harold Esch to finish fourth in Triples; and, in 1984, he took ill after two matches, and partner Skip Arculli continued on with a replacement player to capture a gold medal. Jim was president of ALBA from 1970 to 1972, and an Eastern Division national Councilor for twenty years, 1964-1984. He was ED president in 1959. He took up bowls at the age of 12 years in St. Petersburg, Florida, and later in Pawtucket and Providence, Rhode Island.
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KENNETH DEGENHARDT Milwaukee Lake Park (WI) 2000

Ken Degenhardt's five United States Pairs Championships (1982, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1999) are the second most U.S. Pairs titles won by one individual. (Neil McInnes has won seven Pairs championships). Representing the Central Division, Ken has made twelve U.S. Championships appearances since 1972 (7 Pairs, 5 Singles, and his most recent in 1999). No other Central Division bowler has qualified as many times for the U.S. Championships. Ken has been selected to the National Team more than a dozen times, and was a member of the U.S. International teams that competed in the Asia-Pacific Championships in 1985 in Australia, 1991 Hong Kong, and 1995 New Zealand. In the decade of the 1980s, Ken ranked third in "Bowler of the Decade" rankings (behind previous Hall of Fame honorees Neil McInnes and Harold Esch). Off the green, Ken has been President of the Central Division, a trustee of the ALBA Memorial Foundation, and an ALBA Councilor representing the Central Division.
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EDITH DENTON San Francisco (CA) 2003

Edith Denton began lawn bowling in 1969 at the Sunrise LBC on Long Island. A Scottish friend in her bridge club introduced her to the game. She had instructions one morning and got in the draw that afternoon. She was a natural player and even though she could only bowl on weekends in the summer months, her enthusiasm for the game continued to grow. When Edith retired in 1973 she moved to California and joined the Berkeley LBC. A year later she joined the Women's Golden Gate LBC which later merged to become the San Francisco LBC.

Edith served in virtually every elected office in the San Francisco club. In the PIM Division she served numerous positions including its presidency in 1980 and 1981. She was also a member of the council of the American Women's Lawn Bowls Association for ten years as well as being a Life Member of that organization.

Edith was a bowler of considerable note in international competition. It is claimed that she has delivered more bowls and played more ends that any other member of the United States Women's Team over the years.
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HAROLD ESCH Orlando (FL) , Mt. Dora (NC) 1998

Harold Esch was the 1960s "Bowler of the Decade" (Pilcher Trophy), and trophy runner-up in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s. He received the W. G. Bill Hay "Bowler of the Year" Award in 1974. A National Open Tournament "Triple Crown" champion, Harold won the Open Singles in 1958 and 1976; the Pairs in 1963, 1969, 1975 and 1987; and Triples in 1974, 1975. In 1975, 1976 and 1980, he was "Bowler of the Tournament". Harold represented the Southeast Division 16 times in the U.S. Championships finals, winning the Pairs in 1962 (w/C. Swafford) and 1967 (w/A. Hughes); and runner-up in Singles three times. He was a member of USA World Bowls Teams in 1966 (Australia) and 1976 (South Africa), and team manager in 1988 (New Zealand). In 1987, he managed the U.S. Asia-Pacific Championships team. Off the green, Harold was ALBA President from 1958 to 1960 and, beginning in 1956, served 35 years as a Southeast Division national Councilor. In 1992, he was elected ALBA Honorary Life President. Harold has been ALBA, now USLBA, National Historian since the office was created sometime during the 1960s,. He has also held positions as secretary-treasurer of the International Bowling Board (IBB) 1982-84, and 44 years as Southeast Division secretary-treasurer, 1950-1994. Harold published the monthly ALBA Newsletter (forerunner to BOWLS Magazine) from 1950 to 1960, and compiled and published the "Lawn Bowling Handbook" in 1947. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harold began bowling in 1935 in Orlando, Florida. His affiliations include the Orlando and Mount Dora LBCs.
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VIVIAN CLARK ESCH Clearwater, Orlando (FL) 2002

Vivian Clark Esch was born in Lewiston, Maine and was introduced to lawn bowling in Clearwater, in the 1940s when her family began wintering in Florida. As a Clearwater bowler she won club Women's Singles championships seven times.

Vivian was instrumental in bringing the Southeast Division into the American Women's Lawn Bowls Association in 1971, and she served as Southeast Division secretary from 1970 to 1977. Vivian was president of the AWLBA in 1976 after serving as Southeast Division councilor for a number of years.

After her marriage to championship bowler, Harold Esch, she made her home in Orlando, where she won many club and North Central Florida League championships. She died in 1981.
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BILL FARRELL Essex County (NJ), Clearwater (FL) 2002

Bill Farrell is likely the only American bowler to serve as president of the national organization and two different divisions. From 1977 to 1980 he was president of the American Lawn Bowls Association. He was also president of the Eastern Division during the 1970s and Southeast Division in the 1990s. Bill was an Eastern Division national Councilor from 1974 to 1981, and a Southeast national Councilor 1983-1989. He was also president of his bowling clubs in Essex County, New Jersey and Clearwater, Florida. A two-time winner of the U.S. Championships Pairs, in 1989 and 1991 (w/B. MacWilliams), Bill represented either the Eastern or Southeast Divisions in the Championships eleven times since 1975--nine times in Pairs (all with MacWilliams) and twice in Singles. During one period, he appeared in the U.S. Championships nine consecutive years. Teamed with J. Candelet and H. Wintermute, he won the National Open Triples in 1982. Bill has been named to the U.S. National Team three times, and is currently a member of the USLBA National Team Selectors Committee. Born in Scotland and has been a bowler since his teens. In 1977, in Edison, NJ, Bill organized the first sanctioned indoor bowling club in the United States.
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HUGH FOLKINS Redlands, Arroyo Seco (CA) 2001

Triple Crown winner Hugh Folkins is the younger brother of American lawn bowls legend Dick Folkins, and son of Dr. Frank H. Folkins, one of the organizers in 1922 of the West Coast pioneering Redlands Lawn Bowling Club, in Redlands, California. Hugh was president of the Redlands club in 1942. A National Open "Triple Crown" champion, Hugh captured the Open Singles in 1952; paired with brother Dick Folkins to win the Open Pairs in 1950, 1952,1954; and teamed with his brother and various others to win National Open Triples titles in 1950, 1954,1973. (Victories in the three National Open events are known as "the Triple Crown".) Hugh's success on the bowling green mirrored that of his brother's until he was stricken by polio in the mid-1950s, rendering both his arms useless. But courage and determination returned an inspirational Hugh Folkins to lawn bowls in the 1960s. Fashioning a metal "cup" to his right shoe, Hugh developed a smooth, effortless delivery resulting in his resumption of tournament competition. Leading for skip Dick Folkins and vice Roland Rapp in the 1973 National Open Triples event, Hugh and his unique shoe delivery lead the team to victory.
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RICHARD FOLKINS Redlands, Arroyo Seco, Casta del Sol 1998

Dick Folkins holds more championship honors than any other American bowler. He skipped the United States Triples team to a gold medal at the 1972 World Bowls Championships (Worthing, England), and a silver medal in Pairs at the 1976 World Bowls (Johannesburg, SA). He was also a member of the 1980 USA World Bowls team, and frequently represented the U.S. in international competitions. A National Open "Triple Crown" champion, Dick won the Open Singles in 1950, 1954, 1957 and 1980; Pairs in 1950, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1977; Triples in 1962, 1973; and Rinks in 1950, 1954, 1962. He was "Bowler of the Open Tournament" five times: 1950, 1952, 1954, 1957 and 1962. His victories in Singles, Pairs and Rinks of the 1950 and 1954 National Tournaments mark the only times one player won every Open event in the same year. Dick won the U.S. Championship Singles in 1974, 1975; and Pairs in 1976, 1977, 1979, each with Gerald LaPask. He was named 1970s "Bowler of the Decade" (Pilcher Trophy), The California-born engineer was ALBA president 1976-1977, represented the Southwest Division on the National Council for nine years, and was president of the SWD. Dick was associated with various SWD clubs through the years, including Redlands (founded by his father), Arroyo Seco and Casta del Sol.
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CLIVE FORRESTER Various PIM, SW, SC clubs 2000

Known as "The Fox", Clive Forrester won a gold medal in Triples at the 1972 World Bowls Championships, as vice-skip to Dick Folkins and lead Bill Miller. One of ALBA's handful of National Open "Triple Crown" winners, Clive skipped the 1959 winning Triples team, won the 1983 Open Singles, and skipped the 1984 Open Pairs championship duo (w/O. Artist). He also was vice-skip of the victorious Triples team (w/A. Odell, S. Whittingslow) at the 1986 National Open. At various times representing the PIM, Southwest and South Central Divisions, Clive qualified for thirteen U.S. Championships (8 Singles and 5 Pairs) winning the 1969 Pairs (w/A. Lockhart) and 1970 Singles. In 1969, he was ALBA Bowler of the Year. In addition to his successful 1972 World Bowls appearance, Clive was also a member of the U.S. team that competed at the 1980 World Bowls in Melbourne, Australia, and on the 1985 American team that competed in the first Pacific Games. From 1968 to 1971, Clive was an ALBA Councilor representing the Pacific Inter-Mountain Division.
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ISABELLA FORBES Long Beach (CA) 2002

Isabella Forbes, joined the Essex County Lawn Bowling Club in 1957 as the youngest member ever of that club. She attended her first National Open Tournament in Chicago, IL in 1974, winning the National Open Triples with Jo Gilbert and Marie Clausen (a new bowler at that time). She has only missed 2 National Opens since then.

Izzie, as she is affectionately known, served as a Board member for the Eastern Division for more than 15 years and held the offices and duties of Club representative, Treasurer, Councilor to the AWLBA and President of the Division. Also, served as the division Games Chairperson for over 10 years. She served on the Board of Directors for the Essex County Club for approximately 10 years and became its first woman President in 1979. Izzie represented the Eastern Division in the United States Championships 12 times between 1982 and 1999 before relocating to Long Beach, CA. She was part of the organizing committee for the First U. S. Championships held in Buck Hill Falls, PA and served as Games Chairperson on the committee for the first Atlantic Rim Games held in Sun City, Florida. This was the first and only large International Tournament held in the United States.

She won the US Pairs Championships in 1982 with lead Ceil Brown from the Bridgeport LBC. Izzie played for the USA at World Bowls in Melbourne, Australia 1985 and Ayr, Scotland 1992. Played in the Pacific Rim Games in Fiji in 1989. Managed the US teams for World Bowls in Leamington Spa, England and most recently the Pacific Rim Games in Moama, Australia in 2001.

Izzie moved to Southern California in 1999 due to work commitment and the yearn to bowl all year round and has served the Women’s Southwest Division as Games Chairperson since 2000 and National Tournament Chair for the last 4 years.

Presently she bowls out of the Long Beach Lawn Bowling Club where she became a member in 1999.
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HARRY FURZE Montclair (NJ) 2002

President of ALBA 1928-1929, Harry Furze undertook the task of obtaining International Bowling Board (IBB) affiliation for the American Lawn Bowls Association. His efforts were realized on July 12, 1938. Furze was appointed cochairman of the World Bowling Tournament in 1932, held concurrent and staged next door to the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. The event was held July 18 through August 8 on the three-green complex of the Los Angeles Lawn Bowling Club, directly adjacent to the LA Coliseum, site of the Olympics. An extraordinary bowls enthusiast in an era when means of travel were few, lengthy and expensive, Furze organized a successful U.S. bowling tour to Great Britain in 1929. A year earlier, he accompanied a group of New Zealand bowlers, en route home from a trip to England, on a 14 match cross-country tour of the U.S., with stops reaching from Buffalo to Chicago to California. His home club was in Montclair, New Jersey, which lists Furze in its historical file as an outstanding bowler and a traveling ambassador of the sport.
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JO GILBERT Daytona Beach (FL) 2002

Jo Gilbert began her bowling career in the then Eastern Division in 1971. Her first appearance at a National Open was in Chicago in 1974, at which time she won the triples event with Izzie Forbes and Marie Clausen. She went on to win numerous local, divisional, and national events. She and Jack moved to Florida in 1979, bowling at the Daytona Beach, LBC. She participated in 12 US Championships, winning the Pairs competition with Nora Miller Dorman in 1987 and 1988; and in 1996 with Patti Grabowski. Jo was on the US Women's teams 5 times: at World Bowls in Australia in 1985 and in New Zealand in 1988; at the Pacific Rim games in Papua New Guinea in 1987 and Fiji in 1989; and the inaugural Atlantic Rim games in Florida in 1993. Jo served as an AWLBA councilor for 9 years. She served as Treasurer of the National Organization in 1978 and again in 1982. Under the AWLBA presidency of Ruth Gillard in 1987, she was appointed the Women's National umpire chairman. During this time, she established the Policy and Procedure Manual for women umpires. Jo was an official at the Paralympic lawn bowling games held in Atlanta, GA in 1996. During 2001-2002, she was a member of the National Committee to establish criteria for the selection of National Team members.
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CLIFFORD R. GILLAM Buck Hill Falls (PA) 2001

The president and chairman of the board of the Buck Hill Falls Corporation, Buck Hills Falls, PA, Clifford Gillam was an activist and supporter of top level competitive bowling in the United States. In 1958, Gillam's Buck Hill Falls bowling greens hosted the inaugural Men's U.S. Pairs Championship, and the Pairs event was staged on the Buck Hill greens for its initial twelve years. The perpetual U.S. Pairs Championship Trophy is an elegant sterling silver bowl provided by Gillam and the Buck Hill Falls Corp. From 1960-1969, Buck Hill Falls was also site of the annual U.S. Singles Championships. Gillam introduced a pair of popular open tournaments in the 1960s designed to encourage participation and competition between American and Canadian bowlers. His untimely death cancelled plans to establish a Lawn Bowls Hall of Fame at Buck Hill Falls, and marked the beginning of the movement of ALBA's showcase national tournaments to other locales from year to year. Upon his passing, Gillam was elected Honorary Life Member of ALBA.
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EUGENE GOODWIN Mount Dora (FL) 2006

Gene Goodwin is probably best known as the editor of BOWLS USA magazine, a position he assumed from Joe Siegman in 2002. Under his leadership the magazine steadily improved to the point it was expanded onto glossy paper, and printed in full color. Prior to that Gene served as Southwest Division correspondent to BOWLS magazine. Other service accomplishments include:

president of the Mount Dora LBC 1994-95
editor of the Mount Dora newsletter since 1994
Mount Dora games director 1990-1994
ALBA/USLBA councilor from Southeast Division since 1995
United States Championships coordinator 1997-2002
2nd vice president of ALBA 1999
Guided the merger of the ALBA and the AWLBA

Gene's contributions to his club and to his division have been unceasing since he first appeared on the scene, and are too numerous to list here. They continue today.Eugene Goodwin is a professor emeritus of journalism at Penn State University.
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JAMES GRAHAM Santa Maria (CA) 2005

Jim Graham began lawn bowling when he joined the Thistle LBC in Hartford, Connecticut in 1952. Since then, he has held many administrative positions and has participated in tournaments both domestic and international. He lived and worked in the Hartford area for forty years before retiring to California in 1992. He was a senior vice-president of the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company.Administrativly, Jim served extensively at all levels. On the national level he was a councilor representing both Eastern and the Southwest Divisions of the United States Lawn Bowls Association for a total of eight years. In addition, he served as Treasurer of the USLBA Memorial Foundation (five years) and as Chairman of the National Team Selectors (five years).At the Division level, Jim held the position of President of the Eastern Division, Secretary/Treasurer of the Eastern Division, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Southwest Division for eight years. While at the club level he held the presidency and other offices of every club to which he has belonged.In competition, Jim Graham took first place in the Eastern Division numerous times and qualified for the United States Championships on three occasions, winning the Championship Singles in 1984. He played as a member of Team USA in Papua New Guinea at the Asia-Pacific Championships in 1987.
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DR. EDGAR HALEY Beverly Hills, Santa Monica (CA) 1998

Dr. Edgar Haley, affectionately known as "The Greens Doctor", dedicated more than three decades to research and develop championship bowling greens. He authored and published two primary references works: "Construction of a Lawn Bowling Green" (The Yellow Book) and "Maintenance of the Lawn Bowling Green" (The Green Book). At his own initiative, curiosity and expense, Dr. Haley began a scholarly journey in 1962 at the University of California-Santa Cruz that fostered development of the contemporary sand-based bowling green, as well as unique and appropriate tools and routines for its maintenance. He invented the "greensplaner" and personally built every unit. Dr. Haley constructed a four rink green on his Escondido (CA) estate to test and prove his theories. The green (and active LBC) closed shortly before his death in 1998. Bowls was his father's game and he (and brother Rupert) learned to play as youngsters at a Brentwood Park private green in West Los Angeles. The green was forerunner of the Santa Monica LBC, of which the Haley's were founding members. Father and sons were also long-time members of the Beverly Hills club. As he traveled, Edgar joined various clubs in the U.S. and Canada after his retirement.
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ARTHUR HARTLEY Chicago, Clearwater, Los Angeles 1998

Art Hartley won National Open Singles titles five times over a period of 25 years: in 1940, 1941, 1946, 1960 and 1965. He appeared in the U.S. Championships nine times, winning the Pairs crown in 1965 (w/E. Hayden), and Singles runner-up four times. Arthur was a member of the United States national team that competed in the 1966 (first) World Bowls Championships in Australia, and finished fourth in Singles. He captured National Open "Marl" Singles championships six times: 1947, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1962; and won the Southeast Singles seven times, Pairs three times, between 1947 and 1962. Art Hartley developed a 'concept' lawn bowl manufactured by Brunswick-Balke-Collender in Chicago, and the Marl synthetic lawn bowling surface, once used by numerous Florida bowling clubs and still in place at a few LBCs. His clubs of record include the Chicago, Clearwater and old Los Angeles bowling complex.
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WILLIAM HAY Beverly Hills (CA)1998

Bill Hay was president of the American Lawn Bowls Association from 1946 to 1951, the longest contiguous tenure of any ALBA president. Elected IBB president in 1962, he was the first (of two) American to head the International Bowling Board, international federation for the sport of bowls. (Larry Hennings was IBB president 1982-84.) Bill was United States' IBB delegate for ten years. ALBA elected Bill Hay Honorary Life President in 1953. His many years as a prominent U.S. radio personality (announcer on "Amos & Andy", et al) put him in the position of ambassador for lawn bowling on numerous occasions. Bill's tenure of 24 years on the ALBA Council (mostly as Southwest Division Councilor), represents the second longest service on the Association's governing board. (Harold Esch was a Council member for 35 years.) His home club was Beverly Hills.
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LARRY HENNINGS Various Seattle (WA) clubs 1998

Larry Hennings is one of only two Americans ever elected President of lawn bowling's international federation. He headed the IBB (International Bowling Board) 1982-1984, and was a United States delegate for many years. Like his American IBB presidential predecessor, Bill Hay, Larry Hennings was an ambassador of lawn bowling throughout the world. Hennings was an ALBA Councilor representing the Northwest Division from 1958 to 1970, and it president 1962-1964. Upon his retirement from the Council, though he never truly retired from active service to the organization, he was elected an Honorary ALBA Life President. Larry chaired the 1962 Century 21 World's Fair National Open Tournament in Seattle, Washington, only the third major international bowls event ever held on U.S. soil. In 1984, he was chairman of the Aberdeen, Scotland World Bowls Jury of Appeal. A Washington State attorney, Hennings authored the charter for the ALBA Memorial Foundation and Charles Middleton Fund. He was a member of all bowling clubs in the Seattle area.
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DOROTHY HENRY New York, Southern California 2002,

A championship bowler with a great singing voice, Dorothy Henry was president of the American Women's Lawn Bowls Association in 1978, and before that was president of the Eastern Division (now Northeast Division), while bowling out of the New York Club in Central Park. She was a leader in getting the women's United States Championships started in 1977 at Buck Hill Falls, PA. Dorothy was the United States Champion in Singles in 1980 and in 1988 and in Pairs in 1989. In the National Open Tournament, she won the Pairs in 1989 and the Fours in 1990. While best known for her smooth delivery, many recall that Dorothy would often break into song during her matches. She had a lovely voice.Dorothy spent the latter part of her bowling career in Southern California where the faster greens were easier on her failing knees. She retired to Colorado.
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MELVIN L. HOOPER Redlands, Long Beach, Claremont (CA) 2001

Mel Hooper took up bowls in his hometown of Winnipeg, Canada and brought enthusiasm for the game to Redlands, California, where, in 1922, he (and Dr. Frank Folkins) organized one of California's earliest lawn bowling clubs. In 1924, Hooper organized the Southern California Lawn Bowling Association, was its first president, and served as the group's leader until 1927, when he was named Honorary President. During the 1920s, Hooper also had a hand in establishing various Southern California bowling greens and clubs, including LBCs in the towns of Claremont and Long Beach. In 1932, Hooper chaired the World Tournament in Los Angeles, staged concurrently with the '32 Olympic Games on the three-green bowling complex in Exposition Park, adjacent to the LA Coliseum, site of the Olympics. The huge undertaking, posturing lawn bowls as an Olympic 'demonstration sport', was the first major international bowls event held in the United States. In 1939, Hooper played a key role in staging the next big U.S. International Tournament, in San Francisco. After the Southwest Division was organized in 1944 and became a member of ALBA, Hooper served a year as president of the SWD. An outstanding player as well as organizer, Hooper ranked as "the Southern California Dick Folkins of his era". He was one of few Californians who traveled the U.S. and Canada to bowls events, and is the recorded skip of the 1927 and 1929 Fox Trophy champions-United States vs. Great Britain.
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John Iral JOHNSON Jefferson Park (WA), 2004

Everyone called John Johnson "Johnny." Born in 1917, he hailed from the Southern state of Mississippi but after World War II his home became Seattle, Washington. Johnny started lawn bowling in 1972 following his business retirement and the Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Club became his home away from home. Always the perfect gentleman, he represented the Northwest Division in the United States Championships no less than nine times. Johnny won the National Open Tournament Singles title in 1985 and was awarded "Bowler of the Tournament" immediately following. In 1986 he and partner Bill Craig won the United States Championships Pairs title.Beside being an expert bowler, Johnny was also an umpire and an expert greenskeeper. He could be found every Tuesday "working the greens." To him it was a matter of pride and his goal was to make these greens the very best possible - so much that the United States Championships and the National Open Tournaments were once held in Seattle during his tenure. His untimely death in 1995 due to cancer was a great loss to Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Club and to the world of lawn bowling. (our thanks to George West)
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MARCELLUS L. JOSLYN Santa Monica, Holmby Park (CA) 1999

In 1960, Marcellus Joslyn, a long-standing member of the Santa Monica (CA) Lawn Bowling, founded the Joslyn Foundation, with major emphasis on Southern California senior citizens projects, particularly lawn bowling facilities. The Foundation's Board of Trustees Chairman, Remy Hudson, distributed in excess of six million dollars during the life of the Foundation, a substantial amount of those funds towards construction, remodeling and purchase of bowling greens, clubhouses and maintenance equipment. Some of the Southwest Division beneficiary bowling establishments were: Cambria, Casta del Sol. Cove Communities (Palm Desert), Hemet, Holmby Park (Los Angeles), Laguna Beach, MacKenzie Park (Santa Barbara), Newport Harbor, Oxnard, Pasadena, Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Santa Monica. Many of the bowling clubs carry the Joslyn name. A successful Chicago businessman, Joslyn retired in the West Los Angeles area, where he became an enthusiastic lawn bowler. He bowled originally at the pioneer Brentwood Park green (in the backyard of a California State senator), forerunner to the Santa Monica Club, which was developed on the site of the original Douglas Aircraft factory.
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BERT MacWILLIAMS East Cleveland (OH), Clearwater (FL) 1998

Bert MacWilliams played major roles in American lawn bowling on and off the green. Only one other player in American lawn bowls history qualified for as many U.S. Championship finals as Bert MacWilliams. He and Willis Tewksbury represented their divisions 20 times in the Championships. Bert won the U.S. Singles in 1976, 1979 and 1983, and the Pairs in 1989 and 1991, partnering with Bill Farrell in both victories. He represented the Central Division four times in Pairs and six times in Singles; and the Southeast Division once in Singles and nine times in Pairs. Bert was a member of the USA World Bowls Teams of 1980, 1984 and 1988. Taking his seat on the Council in 1974, Bert served on the ALBA Council for ten years. He was ALBA president 1980-1982. He was Central Division president for two terms. Cleveland-born, Bert took up bowls in 1964 at the East Cleveland, Ohio LBC, later moving to Florida and the Clearwater club.
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EMILY EDITH "Ede" MacWILLIAMS East Cleveland (OH), Clearwater (FL) 2004

Ede MacWilliams was well known throughout the United States as one of the very top bowlers in this country. She was seeded at one time as the top women's pairs champions with partner Dora Stewart. Ede participated in the United States Championships on six occasions, winning it once in pairs. She was also a former member of Team USA and played in World Bowls competition. She championed so many Central Division and Southeast Division events they could not be mentioned here.In service of the sport, Ede MacWilliams served is a wide variety of capacities:

umpire-in-chief at Southeast Division mini-camps
umpire-in-chief at the inaugural Atlantic Rim Games,
umpire-in-chief at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia
president of the East Cleveland LBC
president of the Central Division
president of the Southeast Division
secretary of the Clearwater LBC
club delegate to the Southeast Division council
Central Division councilor to the AWLBA

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LACHLAN McARTHUR Washington Park, Lakeside (IL), Sun City West (AZ) 2000

Lachlan McArthur won his first National Open crown skipping the winning 1937 Rinks team featuring "the four McArthurs", L.D., L.M., R. Sr., and R. Jr. In the same Open, Lachlan (w/L. M. McArthur) won gold in the Pairs event. That same year, he skipped the winners of the Bennett Trophy (East vs. West) Rinks team. In 1949, Lachlan again skipped the National Open Rinks champions (w/R. McArthur, Sr., R. McArthur, Jr., J. Furgeson). He qualified four times for the U.S. Championships Pairs, 1972, 1975, was runner-up in 1976 and 1980. (NOTE: His 1937 Open victories and 1980 U.S. Championships runner-up finish were 43 years apart!) Born in Scotland, Lachlan served on the ALBA Council for six years. He was president of the Central Division, and president of three different lawn bowling clubs: Washington Park and Lakeside, both in Chicago, and Sun City West in Arizona. A bowler for 71 years, he was the United States' first national umpire and one of the original National Selectors, with Dr. Edgar Haley and James Candelet. In 1977, Lachlan was appointed Team Manager for a USA vs. South Africa test match in Johannesburg. He was tournament director of the 1959 and 1967 National Open Tournaments, and assistant director of the 1993 and 1998 Open events.
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REBECCA McARTHUR Sun City West (AZ) 2002

Although she was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rebecca McArthur did not take up lawn bowling until her parents moved to this country and she met her husband-to-be, Lachlan. Now both are in the USLBA Hall of Fame and their son, Douglas, is a champion bowler who has represented the South-Central Division on the National Council. In the early 1970s Rebecca helped organize women's lawn bowling in the Central Division, and helped bring about its affiliation with the (then) new American Women's Lawn Bowls Association. She was that division's first president. Rebecca was also National President of the AWLBA in 1974 and served for a number of years on its Council. During one period, she was the U.S. representative on the International Women's Bowls Board. Rebecca has been a selector for the Women's National Team and for a number of years was the AWLBA Historian.Active in all the bowling clubs to which she belonged, Rebecca originated a South-Central Division tournament called the President's Fives. Lawn bowling was such a major part of her life that most of her family vacations were spent at division and national tournaments.
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VIRGINIA MARLAR

Virginia Marlar served as the President of the Southwest Division of the old American Women's Lawn Bowls Association in 1990 following being its Vice President in 1989. Later she was the President of the AWLBA in 1997 and 1998 having previously served as First and Second Vice President. Her gentle nature has been present in nearly every national and international lawn bowling event where the United States was represented. In addition, she organized both of the 1995 and 1998 National Open Tournaments of the USLBA. Look for her at World Bowls events. She's the quiet one with the big smile.Virginia

USLBA - Hall of Fame

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