Earl Anthony
A left-handed perfectionist who transformed ten-pin bowling from a pastime into a televised sport, becoming its first true superstar.
1938–2001 (age 63)·American professional bowler·Birthday: April 27·The Silent Generation
Biography
Earl Anthony didn't look like an athlete, with his thick glasses and unassuming demeanor, but on the lanes he was a machine of relentless consistency. Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, he worked in a brewery before the Professional Bowlers Association tour offered a precarious living. Anthony changed that. His smooth, left-handed delivery and ice-cool temperament under pressure made him dominant throughout the 1970s. He was the first to win over $100,000 in a season, the first to reach $1 million in career earnings, and his 43 PBA titles stood as the record for decades. His success, broadcast on ABC's 'Pro Bowlers Tour,' made him a household name and proved bowling could be a major spectator sport. Known as 'The Earl of Tacoma,' his quiet professionalism and record-setting excellence gave the game a credibility it desperately needed, paving the way for future generations.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Earl was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Earl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Earl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Died at 63
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Won a then-record 43 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) titles, a benchmark that stood for over 30 years.
- Became the first bowler to earn over $100,000 in a single PBA season (1975).
- Was the first professional bowler to reach $1 million in lifetime career earnings.
- Won the PBA Player of the Year award a record six times.
- Captured ten major championships, including the PBA National Championship and the Tournament of Champions.
Did You Know?
He was colorblind and famously had difficulty distinguishing the blue-dotted spare ball from the regular strike ball.
Before his bowling career took off, he served in the U.S. Air Force.
Anthony was a skilled baseball pitcher in his youth and was offered a minor league contract.
He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1986, just one year after his retirement.
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