Don Carter (bowler)
Encyclopedia
Don Carter was a right-handed American
professional bowler
. Learning the game while working a childhood job as a pinsetter
, Carter went on to become one of the legends of ten-pin bowling
and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association
(PBA) in 1958. He was 6-time bowler of the year (1953, '54, '57, '58, '60 and '62). He was voted the Greatest Bowler of All-Time in a 1970 Bowling Magazine poll, and ranked #11 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years." He currently resides in Miami, FL.
) between 1952 and 1960, Carter won four times and never finished lower than fourth. He won five World Invitational events in a six-year span, finishing second the only year he didn't win. He also won one ABC Masters
title.
Carter was part of the legendary "Budweisers" Bowling Team of 1958 that established a long-standing ABC league series record for a five-man team. Ray Bluth, Dick Weber
, Tom Hennessey and Pat Patterson were also on that 1958 team.
Unlike most bowlers, who keep their arm straight on the backswing as they are about to release the ball, Carter kept his elbow bent, never straightening his arm.
Although the PBA was not formed until Carter was 32 years old, he still won 7 PBA titles (5 of them majors) including the inaugural PBA National Championship in 1960. He won four titles and $49,000 in prize money in 1962 alone. That year, he also made 18 top-five finishes (still a PBA record), and was named the Bowling Writers Association of America's Bowler of the Year
.
He was the PBA's first president, and served four years overall in that capacity. A bad knee forced him into an early retirement.
) in the fall of 1946. After one season in a Class D league, he hung up his baseball spikes and returned to St. Louis to take a job at Golden Eagle Lanes. Working as an alley man, bartender and janitor, he bowled as often as he could during his time off.
In 1951, he was invited to bowl for the Pfeiffer Beer team in Detroit, MI, where his bowling career reached high momentum.
In 1973, Don married female professional bowler Paula Sperber, who had won the 1971 U.S. Women's Open
and would go on to a stellar bowling career that would culminate in her induction to the WIBC (now USBC
) Hall of Fame in 1994. The PBA recently held a mixed doubles tournament called the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship.
Carter is known for a number of bowling "firsts":
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional bowler
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
. Learning the game while working a childhood job as a pinsetter
Pinsetter
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pinspotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players...
, Carter went on to become one of the legends of ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
(PBA) in 1958. He was 6-time bowler of the year (1953, '54, '57, '58, '60 and '62). He was voted the Greatest Bowler of All-Time in a 1970 Bowling Magazine poll, and ranked #11 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years." He currently resides in Miami, FL.
Bowling career
Prior to the PBA being formed, Don Carter was known as the most dominant bowler of the 1950s. In the prestigious BPAA All-Star tournaments (predecessor to the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (bowling)
The U.S. Open is one of the four major tournaments in the Professional Bowlers Association. The first modern-day U.S. Open tournament in the PBA took place in 1971 and was won by Mike Limongello. With four victories, Pete Weber holds the most modern-day U.S. Open trophies.The U.S...
) between 1952 and 1960, Carter won four times and never finished lower than fourth. He won five World Invitational events in a six-year span, finishing second the only year he didn't win. He also won one ABC Masters
USBC Masters
The USBC Masters is a championship ten pin bowling event conducted by the United States Bowling Congress. The Professional Bowlers Association began recognizing it as a title event in 1998, and it was designated one of the four majors in 2000....
title.
Carter was part of the legendary "Budweisers" Bowling Team of 1958 that established a long-standing ABC league series record for a five-man team. Ray Bluth, Dick Weber
Dick Weber
Dick Weber was a famous bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association...
, Tom Hennessey and Pat Patterson were also on that 1958 team.
Unlike most bowlers, who keep their arm straight on the backswing as they are about to release the ball, Carter kept his elbow bent, never straightening his arm.
Although the PBA was not formed until Carter was 32 years old, he still won 7 PBA titles (5 of them majors) including the inaugural PBA National Championship in 1960. He won four titles and $49,000 in prize money in 1962 alone. That year, he also made 18 top-five finishes (still a PBA record), and was named the Bowling Writers Association of America's Bowler of the Year
Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year
The Bowling Writers Association of America annually selects a Male Bowler of the Year and a Female Bowler of the Year....
.
He was the PBA's first president, and served four years overall in that capacity. A bad knee forced him into an early retirement.
Personal
Carter enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944, and spent two years as a radarman in the South Pacific. He was a fine baseball player in high school, and was signed to a minor-league contract by the Philadelphia Athletics (now Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
) in the fall of 1946. After one season in a Class D league, he hung up his baseball spikes and returned to St. Louis to take a job at Golden Eagle Lanes. Working as an alley man, bartender and janitor, he bowled as often as he could during his time off.
In 1951, he was invited to bowl for the Pfeiffer Beer team in Detroit, MI, where his bowling career reached high momentum.
In 1973, Don married female professional bowler Paula Sperber, who had won the 1971 U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
and would go on to a stellar bowling career that would culminate in her induction to the WIBC (now USBC
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
) Hall of Fame in 1994. The PBA recently held a mixed doubles tournament called the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship.
Milestones and Recognition
- Inducted into ABC Hall of Fame, 1970
- Inducted into PBA Hall of Fame, 1975
- In 1958, he wrote a book called 10 Secrets of Bowling with the help of illustrator Anthony Ravielli.
Carter is known for a number of bowling "firsts":
- First bowler to win every possible major tournament in a career (All-Star, World Invitational, PBA National and ABC Masters)
- First president of the PBA
- First bowler to have a professional tournament named after him
- First athlete to sign a $1 million endorsement contract, inking a multi-year deal with Ebonite InternationalEbonite InternationalEbonite International is a parent company that oversees the manufacture of bowling balls and bowling equipment. Their headquarters and primary manufacturing facility is located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.-Expansion in 2007:...
in 1964
Sources
- www.doncarter.com, official website of Don Carter
- www.pba.com, official website of the Professional Bowlers Association and the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour