ORANGE COUNTY USBC ASSOCIATION ADDS BCM EDITOR TO HALL OF FAME

Bob Johnson, the long-time editor of Bowling Center Management magazine, was inducted into the Orange County USBC Association Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Johnson was elected in the Meritoriuos Service section of the Hall along with association volunteers Linda Stewart and Cindy Miles.

Johnson began his career in bowling journalism when he was 15 years old as a staff assistant at the Pacific Bowler, which was based in the Orange County community of Garden Grove. While there, he oversaw the expansion of the weekly newspaper’s Junior Bowling Section, while also covering an array of local and regional events.

At his induction, Johnson feigned confusion over the hall of fame category in which he was selected. He said that when he received the call from OCUSBC Association President Gary Forman informing him of his selection, he presumed it was for superior performance.

Johnson referenced a league sheet that showed him averaging higher than future PBA champion Mark Baker, and showed both AJBC and ABC league high average and league champion patches. He also showed the crowd an Orange County Bowling Association 275 game patch, as well as the medal he received for winning the 1971 Orange County Junior Bowling Association Bantam Doubles championship.

But Johnson said he was humbled by the meritoriuos service selection, noting that writing is the only thing he does well, and writing about bowling has been his passion for nearly 50 years. That passion has been rewarded by 85 national writing awards, more than any other bowling journalist.

“The writing awards are great, but I always look at them as being a reflection of the newspaper or magazine the stories were written for,” Johnson said. “BCM is fortunate to have an outstanding roster of writers, and that’s why it’s the trusted source of industry news and features.”

Johnson told those in attendance at La Habra “300” Bowl, where the Orange County USBC Association Hall of Fame plaques are displayed, that he is grateful for having had the opportunity to work for Alan Post and Joe Lyou during his first stint at the Pacific Bowler, and for Berdalee and R.F. Corderman during his second stint.

“I’ve lived in a number of places, including 13 years in Chicago with Bowlers Journal, but I will always be from Orange County,” he said. “That’s why this award means so much to me.”

Johnson also is a member of the International Bowling Media Association Hall of Fame, inducted in 2009, the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame (2019), the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (2019) and the California USBC Hall of Fame (2023).