April 4, 2024 Nolan Hughes

The PBA will see five figures enshrined in the Hall of Fame this April: Tom Hess, Bill and Barbara Chrisman, John Weber and Steve Jaros.

Hess will be recognized for superior performance during his PBA50 career, while the Chrismans and Weber will enter the Hall of Fame for meritorious service.

Jaros will enter the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee, which recognizes accredited players who did not meet traditional standards for enshrinement (10 PBA Tour titles or five titles with two major championships). Of the five players on this year’s ballot, Jaros received the most votes from living Hall of Famers.

"This is a wonderful class of Hall of Famers, representing PBA greatness in so many aspects of the game," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. "From remarkable business partners like the Chrismans, to a legendary tournament director in John Weber. From a player like Tom Hess who maximized renewed competitive life on the PBA50 Tour, to our first Veterans Committee inductee Steve Jaros, whose body of work on the National and Regional Tours can now be celebrated."

The PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held April 26 in Fairlawn, Ohio in conjunction with the PBA Tournament of Champions.

"Our induction dinner location, the historic Hilton Akron/Fairlawn Hotel ball room during PBA Tournament of Champions week, has been the setting for countless moments of Hall of Fame history," Clark said. "Our evening this April, is sure to be as unforgettable."

The induction ceremony will be livestreamed for free on BowlTV.

Tom Hess

PBA50 Superior Performance

Hometown: Granger, Iowa
PBA member since: 2003
Bowling hand: Right

Since Tom Hess debuted on the PBA50 Tour in 2021, he has been nothing short of sensational.

In Hess’ rookie season, which was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he won the season’s final two events — the Senior U.S. Open and USBC Senior Masters, both major championships — to claim PBA50 Player and Rookie of the Year honors. Only Norm Duke (2014) and Tom Baker (2005) had won both awards in the same season before Hess.

Since then, the fiery Iowa native has added three PBA50 Tour titles to his name while maintaining a cash-percentage over 92%. Hess has earned over $120,000 in his 38 career PBA50 Tour events.

Hess owns one PBA Tour title, the 2011 USBC Masters.

PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark surprised Hess with the announcement of his induction on BowlTV during the PBA Illinois Classic in February.

Bill and Barbara Chrisman

Meritorious Service

Founders of Storm Products, Inc.

The history of bowling and the PBA cannot be told without Bill and Barbara Chrisman, who founded Storm Products, Inc., in 1994.

Bill died last September at the age of 74, leaving behind a monumental legacy. PBA players sponsored by Storm have combined to win hundreds of titles across all levels of the PBA, including Jason Belmonte’s 31 titles and record-15 major championships.

“I remember the first call Bill ever gave me. With complete certainty in his voice he said, ‘Together, we are going to change the game.’ I was a teenager,” Belmonte wrote after Bill Chrisman’s passing. “Since that day no one in this game believed in me, supported me and loved me like my bowling father Bill. Bowling is what bowling is because of what Bill did for the game we love.”

Barbara, who seamlessly assumed the role of CEO following Bill’s passing, learned of their enshrinement on the Feb. 28 edition of Storm’s podcast “The Morning Bolt.”

John Weber

Meritorious Service

Former PBA, PBA50 and PBA Regional Tour tournament director

John Weber is the third member of the hallowed Weber family to be enshrined in the PBA Hall of Fame, following his father Dick and brother Pete.

John’s career began as tournament director PBA Midwest Region in the 1980s. He later oversaw all regional tours as well as the PBA50 Tour while still running the Midwest Region. When Corey Kistner left the PBA50 Tour, John became the on-site PBA50 Tour director all while continuing to run the Midwest Region.

Weber’s influence on the PBA50 Tour cannot be understated. His tremendous rapport with players and proprietors, combined with his passion to grow the PBA50 Tour, helped grow the tour into what it is today. He helped add new and supportive host centers to an elongated schedule and devised formats and pay structures to entice players to join and stay on the PBA50 Tour.

Because of Weber's efforts, players like Hess have a true “second” path to the PBA Hall of Fame.

After the 2020 retirement of Kirk von Krueger, PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2022, John took over as tournament director of the PBA Tour, a position he held until his retirement before the 2024 season.

Steve Jaros

Veterans Committee Selection

Hometown: Yorkville, Illinois
PBA member since: 1984
Bowling hand: Right

Jaros won seven times during his PBA Tour career, culminating with his 2005 PBA Dexter Tournament of Champions victory. He earned just shy of $1.75 million in his 878 events.

In major championships, Jaros advanced to eight televised finals and earned 18 top-10 finishes. In the 1999 PBA Chattanooga Open, Jaros fired the 14th televised 300 game in PBA history.

Additionally, Jaros has won 43 titles on the PBA Regional Tour. 

All living Hall of Famers were able to vote for one of a handful of players whose career accolades fall short of the standard of 10 titles or five titles with two majors. This year’s nominees were Jaros, Guppy Troup, Ryan Shafer, Bob Learn Jr., and Robert Smith. Voting results were as follows:

  • Jaros, 16 votes
  • Troup, 12
  • Shafer, 7
  • Learn, 3
  • Smith, 2