AT THE TIME OF INDUCTION ON MAY 10, 1997 -- Class of 1997...

CHARACTER

In Clancy’s early days of bowling, he was the victim of a funds loss in one of his leagues. The secretary of the league claimed that a fire burned the league funds and they were all lost. From this moment on, Clancy believed that it was very important to have good league officers.

Clancy says that Don Lowry had a big influence on him. Don has given him much good advice and it was highly appreciated. Clancy has a saying that "He was never ashamed of bowling and that he did not want bowling to be ashamed of him". Clancy always tried to get the maximum on each ball. Do your best. It is a simple and rewarding philosophy.

SERVICE

Clancy served on the board of the Kokomo Bowling Association for one year. He was then called to work on the afternoon shift which cut his service short.

This only provided Clancy another way to provide service to the bowlers in Kokomo. He started the Stellite Morning League which eventually grew to 12 teams. He also started the Union League at Cedar Crest when that facility opened.

Clancy was a highly dedicated league officer, usually serving as secretary, for 30-35 consecutive years. He served as league secretary for 5-10 leagues over the years. He was secretary for as many as 2 leagues in a year for 8-10 years. Clancy was the secretary of the 8 pack league for about 10 years. He helped keep that league together until they merged with the Delco Classic League this year.

Clancy also co-chaired the Stellite Tournament with Ron Brunt for about 10 years. That tournament had as many as fifty teams participate and also included singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.

Clancy organized a full squad of 16 bowlers to bowl in the Wappakonata Singles tournament for about 15 years.

Clancy took two teams to the Dayton Industrials tournament for over 20 years.

BOWLING PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Clancy should also be proud of his bowling accomplishments. In the 1984/1985 City Tournament, Clancy won the Singles actual and handicap titles with a 656 and 716, respectively. Clancy’s career high game is 298. His career high series was 709 and was accomplished at the age of 66 years. Clancy held a high average of 189/190 in the 1960’s which were certainly not a high scoring era for Kokomo.

Clancy was an active bowler. He bowled in as many as 3 leagues in a week. He always tried to get in the City Tournament. If his regular team would not enter, he would form another team to enter. Clancy bowled in many state tournaments. He also bowled in the ABC on two or three occasions.

Clancy bowled at the Peterson Classic in Chicago for over 20 years. He finished in 15th place one year. (He was in third at the time he completed play.)

Clancy also bowled in many other small tournaments in the Midwest, usually in Ohio, Michigan or Kentucky. Sometimes his team would bowl in as many as 15-20 in the spring of the year.

Clancy bowled with or against many Hall-of-Famers. He was talked into using a fingertip ball by Fred Hurstel, one of Kokomo’s greatest bowlers.

Clancy won every event in the Stellite tournament, including the mixed doubles - bowling with Peg Hawkins.