Edward G. "Eddie" Elias (December 12, 1928 – November 15, 1998) was best known as the founder of the

Professional Bowlers Association The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the PBA membership consists of over 3,000 members worldwide. Member ...

(PBA). Elias grew up in the

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States area, and attended West High School,

The University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

, Western Reserve Law School (now part of Case Western Reserve University). He was active in numerous sports during his high school and college years, including baseball and basketball. Although Elias was not a bowler himself, in 1958 he founded the

with 33 founding members and turned the sport into one of the longest continuing sports series on network TV. He was elected to the PBA Hall of Fame in 1976 for Meritorious Service.Hall of Fame Bios
at www.pba.com As an agent Elias, through his company Eddie Elias Enterprises, represented almost two dozen golfers in addition to basketball, football, bowling and auto racing stars, and numerous television personalities and sports commentators. The firm's clients included golfers

Chi Chi Rodriguez Chi or CHI may refer to: Greek *Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ); Chinese * ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter *Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon * Chi (surname) (池, pinyin: ''chí' ...

and Fuzzy Zoeller, bowlers

Dick Weber Richard Anthony Weber (December 23, 1929 – February 14, 2005) was a ten-pin bowling professional and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). Along with Don Carter, Weber is widely regarded as professional bowling's fi ...

and Don Carter, consumer advocate

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

, and television stars

Phil Donahue Phillip John Donahue (born December 21, 1935) is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of ''The Phil Donahue Show''. The television program, later known simply as ''Donahue'', was the first talk show forma ...

and

Marlo Thomas Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her children's franchise '' Free to Be... You and ...

. He married Peggy Emerson on November 21, 1968 in New York City. Their daughter Rainy Margaret was born on July 26, 1971. Their daughter Annie Marlo was born on December 25, 1974.

Bibliography

*''Eddie Elias: PBA Founder Merchandised Sports, Corporate, TV Worlds'', by Jane Richardson, .

References

External links

EddieElias.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elias, Eddie 1928 births 1998 deaths Ten-pin bowling Sportspeople from Akron, Ohio University of Akron alumni Case Western Reserve University alumni