William Joseph Welu, known to all as Billy, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 14, along with such Texas greats as golf's Miller Barber, baseball's Don Baylor, Bobby Dillon of the NFL, rodeo cowboy Don Gay, NBA star George Gervin, and eight-time All-Pro Dallas Cowboy great Randy White.
The posthumous induction was made by long time friend and ABC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard of Houston and accepted by Mrs. Pat Glauser, sister of Welu.
Lillard, himself a Texas Sports Hall of Fame member, told of bowling pot games with a 17-year-old Welu in San Antonio and opposing Welu many times on the pro tour. With an occasional catch in his voice, it was easy to see the respect and affection he had for his longtime friend.
Lillard told the story of a tournament that was competing at his home lanes, Lakewood Lanes and how he was sure he would win the event because he had been practicing all month, but he said, "I just couldn't hit lanes 1 and 2, but was scoring well on the other three pair of lanes and was determined to win the $500 first prize being offered by the Dallas Morning News. Well, Billy came waltzing in rolls 248 on 1 and 2, shoots about 940 for the four games and wins the tournament."
Lillard lauded Welu as "a winner in everything he did." In closing, he said, "I am so proud to be the one to offer him for induction tonight."
Lillard then introduced Mrs. Pat Glauser, Welu's sister who accepted an artist drawing of each of the Hall of Fame inductees. In her acceptance speech she spoke of Welu's travels around the world promoting bowling and she thanked everyone for what she described as "an honor."
So let's look at bowling's big fella and remember him with pride.
Welu, a graduate of St. Thomas University in Houston, was a par golfer at age 17 and considered both golf and baseball professionally. Fortunately for bowling, he chose neither. After honing his skills on tough Texas lanes, he made his way to St. Louis, where in 1954 he signed with the Budweisers, bowling's most dominant team at the time.
Bowling was booming at the time. Changes were being made in lane conditions, and shellac was being replaced by lacquer. It was estimated there were 20 million people bowling at that time, and the future looked bright.
In 1957, Welu was asked to join the Falstaffs. He became their captain and led them to national honors in ABC and BPAA team competition.
Welu, at 6-5 and 230 pounds was bowling's big man and as such had to adjust his game to fit his size. He developed a figure-8 release that enabled him to control his timing at the line and achieve a straighter arm swing. But, with lanes getting dryer, Welu suffered through 22 months of teaching himself a new delivery for the new conditions. At age 29 he was trying to completely change his game from a strong finishing shot to one more straight. Accuracy and control were the name of the game and it almost ended his career as he struggled with his game and the stress of his fellow bowlers ridicule.
Welu told writer Dick Denny, "I want to bowl well enough and long enough to make the hall of fame. I'd like to be one of the youngest players to enter the hall."
Welu wasn't just a team bowler, he was a great individual performer as well. Here are a few of his achievements:
ABC Tournament
1st, doubles (Don McClaren), 1954: 625-1335
1st, team (Falstaffs), 1958: 636-3210
1st, team all-events (Falstaffs), 1968: 2,029-9,608
1st, Classic Team (Falstaffs), 1964: 696-6,417
1st Classic team (Shur-Hooks), 1966: 1,271-6,536
3rd Classic Team (Falstaffs), 1962: 1,196-6,218
4th All Events, 1956: 1,922
4th All Events, 1958: 2,029
5th Classic Team, (Falstaffs), 1965: 1,159-5,984
5th Classic Team, (Shur-Hooks), 1967: 1,115-6,098
7th Classic Doubles (Harry Smith), 1962: 630-1,312
8th Classic Doubles (Andy Marzich), 1968: 661-1,283
10th All Events, 1955: 1,913
Average, 25 years (consecutive): 199
1,800s (1,890 high): 7
1,900s (1,922): 3
2,000s (2,029): 1
1st, Masters, 1964, 28 game average: 227
1st, Masters, 1965, 40 game average: 202
3rd, Masters, 1961, 36 game average: 207
4th, Masters, 1955, 20 game average: 197
7th, Masters, 1963, 28 game average: 208
Masters, 232 game average: 204
All Events Titles
Missouri B.A., 1955: 1,878
Tournament Titles
May Day, singles, Houston, 1952, 8 games: 1,915
Tristate, Amarillo, 1953, 5 games: 1,115
Playdium, Houston, 1953, 8 games: 1,753
Longview (Texas) Classic, 1953, 4 games: 911
Midwest, Springfield, Ill., 1954, 4 games: 854
Bowling Center, Ft. Worth, 1957, 5 games: 1,184
Cowtown singles, Ft. Worth, 1957, 4 games: 923
Decoration Day, Denver, 1957, 7 games: 1,492
Grant singles, Los Angles, 1957, 5 games: 1,094
Chester (Pa.) Twin, 1958, 5 games: 1,185
Fietz-Niesen, Chicago, 1958, 21 games: 4,827
Landgraf Classic, New York, 1960, 4 games: 915
Bowling Illustrated, Detroit, 1961, 5 games: 1,110
PBA Titles
Indianapolis Open, 1962
Phoenix Open, 1964
Tournament of Champions, 5 finals, 304-game average: 203
PBA Nationals, 4 finals, 311-game average: 207
BPAA Events
1st, All-Star, 1959
1st, team (Budweisers), 1955, 1956; (Falstaffs), 1957, 1960, and 1963
All-Star, 8 finals, 889-game average: 208
World's Invitational
4 finals, 526 game average: 208
Other Achievements
Sanctioned 300 games: 3
Sanctioned 299 games: 1
Sanctioned 298 games: 1
1st Team, Bowling Magazine All-America, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964.
2nd Team, 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1965.
PBA President, 1965-66
Charter member, PBA Hall of Fame, 1975
His opening day at the 1967, $100,000 Firestone Tournament of Champions in Akron, Ohio won't easily be forgotten. He set three world records that afternoon for four, five, and six games and tossed in a 300 game for good measure. His scores were 1,097 for four; 1,300 for five and 1,568 for six.
Welu is remembered as one of bowling's earliest characters. Ray Nelson, writing for Bowling Magazine in 1974, recalled that on a flight from St. Louis to Paramus, N.J. with the Falstaffs, Welu spent the entire flight walking the isles, waving a book on trigonometry, and asking questions about the subject. Nelson recalled there were very few answers. After all, a college degree was an academic achievement few of the bowlers had.
Or, the time he competed in the Masters wearing a pair of pants, with one purple leg and the other chartreuse. (And we all thought that Guppy Troup and Ernie Schlegel started that trend!)
Although Welu loved his steak, salad, and lime sherbet, he constantly had to watch his weight, once ballooning to 279 pounds. But, even with a size that commanded attention his Budweiser team nicknamed him "Old Aches and Pains" because usually before a big tournament he would have some ailment. Once, while bowling against the Stroh's of Detroit, with an arm full of Novocain, Welu averaged 212 in leading the Budweisers to victory.
Welu was a member of the Lincoln-Mercury Sports Panel, where he served with such sports greats as Arnold Palmer, Dan Gurney, Al Kaline, Jesse Owens, and Bart Starr.
Bowling took Welu around the world, and he adapted to the roll of ambassador with ease. Staging exhibitions and clinics at Army and Navy posts in Alaska, Greenland, Korea, and Japan and visiting veterans' hospitals took Welu to what he estimated was 1,500,000 miles.
The PBA recalls a time when Welu took a group of professional bowlers to Caracas, Venezuela for a tournament. Politics were in a state of flux in the South American country and all Americans were not welcome, until the final Saturday night of the tournament.
In fluent Spanish, Welu thanked everyone at the tournament for their courtesies during the week, accepted plaques and trophies for the bowlers, and literally brought down the house for the "Yankee bowlers."
In 1962, with the inception of ABC Sports' "Pro Bowlers Tour," Welu became the color commentator, working with ABC's Chris Schenkel. Welu took to the job like a fish to water and was one of the very best. In addition to being comfortable and glib in front of the microphone, his knowledge of bowling and the professional bowlers on tour at the time was part of his greatness.
Schenkel was unable to attend the induction, but sent a letter that was read by another long time friend Larry Huse of Clifton. The letter read,
Billy Welu's expertise and beautifully placed humor elevated the quality of our ABC "Pro Bowlers Tour" telecast for 13 years. An ABC and PBA Hall of Famer, Billy was bowling's most effective Ambassador, teaching amateur and professionals alike, showing his uncommon skills, his knowledge of all phases of the sport. I was the voice of the Lincoln-Mercury Sports Panel, that included Arnold Palmer, Gordie Howe, Byron Nelson, Cale Yarborough, Jesse Owens, and yes, Billy Welu. With Billy's untimely death, I lost a best friend, a colleague, and we all lost one of God's gifts to the human race. Please allow me to congratulate the Texas Hall of Fame for including Billy, just as I congratulate my friend Miller Barber, the rest of the Texas Legends, all the best at what they do.
With Total Respect, Chris Schenkel.
Welu remained the color commentator until his untimely death in 1974. One year after his death, he was inducted into the American Bowling Congress and the Professional Bowlers Association Halls of Fame.
His induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame makes him and Lillard the only two bowlers to receive this honor.
Part of the Welu display at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame is an autographed picture of the great Falstaff team that consisted of Steve Nagy, Dick Hoover, Harry Smith, Al Salvos, Glenn Allison, and Welu.
The only thing that could have made the evening more complete would have been if they had served lime sherbet for dessert, or that my Dad could have been there.