October 7, 2025 Professional Bowlers Association

By Aaron Smith, USBC Communications

ARLINGTON, Texas – United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Glenn Allison of Corona, California, died Oct. 7 at the age of 95.

A legend at the USBC Open Championships for his on-lane success and record-setting longevity and heralded by many as “Mr. 900” for rolling three consecutive 300 games in 1982, Allison was inducted in the Superior Performance category in 1979.

He began his celebrated journey at the Open Championships during the 1947 event in Los Angeles. The talented right-hander returned for a second appearance in 1950 and made his annual trek to compete at each edition of the event from 1954 to 2024 to set the tournament’s participation mark with 72 appearances.

Across 121 editions of the Open Championships, only four other competitors have reached 70 years on the tournament lanes (Bill Doehrman, Joe Norris and Sylvester Thiel at 71 appearances and Clinton Zavakos at 70 appearances).

Allison’s wins at the Open Championships took place in 1962, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

He paired with fellow USBC Hall of Famer Dick Hoover to win Classic Doubles in 1962. Allison fired a 780 series (his highest set at the Open Championships) to lead the way as the duo claimed victory with a 1,431 total.

A pair of team wins followed for Allison as he helped Falstaff Beer (1964) and Ace Mitchell Shur-Hooks (1966) to the top spot in the Classic Division.

In 1970, he collected his fourth Eagle with games of 258, 258 and 214 for a 730 series in Classic Singles.

As Allison continued to accrue accolades at the Open Championships, he also made his way toward the top of the tournament’s pinfall list. He joined the 100,000-Pin Club during his 55th appearance in 2006 and finished his career in third place on the all-time list with 123,341 pins across 72 years for a lifetime average of 190 at the tournament.

He was 430 pins away from passing USBC Hall of Famer Joe Norris (123,770) for second and 747 pins shy of going around USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. for the pinfall record (124,087).

At the 2024 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting, Allison was recognized for his 72nd appearance at the Open Championships during an on-stage tribute and was presented with a commemorative gold, diamond and black onyx ring with the number “72” inscribed on it.

Allison’s perfect performance and 900 series during a league session at La Habra 300 Bowl on July 1, 1982, serves as one of the sport’s most recognizable achievements even though the series was not approved by the American Bowling Congress (now USBC).

The USBC reevaluated the award application in 2014 but upheld the decision approved by its predecessor.

Allison – a charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association – was inducted to the PBA Hall of Fame in 1984 after claiming five national titles. He also recorded one victory on the PBA50 Tour.

Information concerning funeral services for Allison is not yet available.