The Sunshine Challenge

The National Bowling Association, Inc.

History

The National Bowling Association, Inc (TNBA) story is yet another piece of the African American epic. It is a story of challenge, a story of courage, a story of vision, a story of determination, and a story of triumph. The backdrop of the early TNBA story is the social, economic, and political climate of our nation during the first half of the 20th century. This period is particularly marked by the great depression and World War II, both events affected the population in some form.

In the 1920s, participation in this sport by Black Americans began to increase. Leagues were formed in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Toledo, and Detroit.

In 1935, Cleveland women began to participate in competitive bowling. In 1935 Ms. Viola Crosswhite formed the 6 team Ladies Progressive League.

In 1939 the first bloom of what would become The National Negro Bowling Association began to take shape when Wynston Brown and others arranged the first inter-city match game with Detroit. The first Tournament was sponsored by Wynston Brown, Jackie Robinson, J. Elmer Reed, and Joe Blue. The cities which participated in the first tournament were Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, and Toledo. This event occurred on May 5&6, 1939 at the Ontario-St Claire Avenue Lanes. The winning team was Chicago’s Woodlawn Alcumes team. They won the Joe Louis Trophy and shared $35.00. This tournament and the bowling condition which confronted African Americans provided the impetus for NNBA.

The founders of NNBA, 22 in number, met in the Frogs Club in Detroit on August 20, 1939. Representatives were present  at this meeting from the STARTING FIVE CITIES: Cincinnati(2)- John  Smith,  Arble  J. Woods; Cleveland(7)- Firley  Carr, Wynston Brown, Joe Blue, Jackie Robinson (yes, the baseball player), J. Elmer Reed, Oscar McDonald, Ms. Viola Crosswhite; Chicago(3)- Issac Rivers, Brownie  Cain, Leroy Brown; Detroit(8)- Henry Hardin,  Ernest S. Moore, Ms. June  Watts, George Porter, James  Roden,  Richard Benton,  James  Watts and Toledo(3)-Lucius Huntley, Dwight  Guy, Clarence King.   The first draft of the Constitution of NNBA was presented from Cleveland and it was approved at this famous meeting. The first President was Wynston Brown –Cleveland, Luscious Huntley of Toledo was Vice President, Richard Benton of Detroit was Secretary and Brownie Cain of Chicago was Treasurer.
In Cleveland, Mr. J. Elmer Reed and two investors took the position that they would have to either buy existing lanes or build some. He found a group that decided to build.                          
In 1941, in Cleveland, Ohio, J. Elmer Reed, William Pierson, and Rodger Price built United Recreation Bowling Center. The first black owned bowling center in the United States.
Sea Ferguson – Fun Bowl 
Joe Louis & Company – Paradise Bowl
13 member group – Belmont Lanes

These new Bowling Centers ushered in greater expansion of TNBA. In 1941, TNBA was incorporated in the State of Ohio as what was then known as the NNBA (National Negro Bowling Association). In 1945 when the decision was made to change the name to National Bowling Association, the National Bowling Council, another bowling organization, objected to this name change. This Ohio organization would not rescind its position, so the Incorporation was changed to the State of Illinois under the new name The National Bowling Association, Inc.

African Americans owned bowling establishments from the Atlantic to the Pacific thru the 1950s. TNBA expanded faster than lanes built by black proprietors could take place. During this period, TNBA, the NAACP, The Committee on Fair Play in Bowling, the Mayors Commission On Human Relations (led by Minneapolis Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey) and other organizations pressured the American Bowling Congress (ABC) to remove the Caucasian-Only Clause from its Constitution. Lawsuits were filed in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and New York. On May 12, 1950, the ABC removed the clause and on June 5, 1950, the Women International Bowling Congress (WIBC) followed with its constitution. TNBA President Mr. Sidney Celestine appointed a committee to work out a program for the integration of bowling with ABC, and then with WIBC. On May 24, 1951, in St Paul Minnesota, African Americans competed for the first time in the ABC National Tournament.  The members of this historic team included: Maurice Kilgore, George Williams, William ‘Bill’ Rhodman, Clarence Williams and Lavert Griffin.

TNBA has been, and continues to be a major factor in the integration of blacks into the “bowling world”. TNBA proudly stands behind its motto as a promoter of “Sportsmanship, Fellowship, and Friendship.”

The Sunshine Challenge would like to thank Wayde Broughton, TNBA Historian for his valuable contributions to this page.