TNBA History

The National Bowling Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized in August 1939, in Detroit, Michigan, for the express purpose of encouraging Blacks to develop their skills in the game of Ten Pins. It was originally known as the “National Negro Bowling Association” because at the time of its birth, Blacks and other Non-Caucasians were not permitted to belong to ABC or WIBC due to certain restrictive clauses in their constitutions.
 

 

TNBA welcomed all races. In 1944 our organization was renamed, “The National Bowling Association, Inc. However, its membership remained largely African American.  We actively participated in the fight for “Equality in Bowling” and in 1950, both American Bowling Congress and Women’s International Bowling Congress began to open their membership to all races.  The National Bowling Association is still in existence today with chapters and leagues across the United States.

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Every year the league season culminates with the National Convention and TNBA Week, a 10-day event featuring bowling and special festivities.

During TNBA Week, members celebrate several unique traditions including the annual King and Queen Coronation Ball and the Bill Rhodman Memorial Classic Championship Roll-Off.

William (Bill) Rhodman was a member of the Allen Supermarket team, the first African-American team to bowl in an ABC National Tournament. In his honor, the TNBA hosts the Rhodman Memorial Classic Championship Roll-Off each year.

Eight regional tournaments and two national events lead up to final showdown during TNBA Week. From the hundreds who start, 12 finalists take part in the grand event, three bowlers from each of TNBA's four regions (Western, Eastern, Central, Southern).