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Munn First Bowler Selected For Oldtimers Hall of Fame

By Gus Bock

For the first time in its history the Old time Athletes Assn. will honor a bowler at its 19th annual dinner and reunion Thursday night at the Hotel Suburban, East Orange.

This man, and he is a mighty one, is William 9Whitey) Munn of Hillside. No athlete could be more deserving of the honor because Whitey has has been one of the country's great pin stars-and we do mean great- for too many years to remember.

Other old time sports figures who will be honored include George Mills (baseball, football); Matthew McDonald (track, boxing, football); Henry Wagner (gymnast, basketball, bowling); Harry McEnore ( baseball); Silvio Bojrotundi (baseball, basketball, bowling); Sam (Murph)Klugman ( basketball); Dr. Maclyn Baker (baseball, basketball, football); John Joyce (basketball, baseball, football); Joe O'Toole (basketball); Frank Terwilliger (track, football,baseball); William Hood (baseball, football); John (Pop) Brennan (cycling); Andrew Zazali ( basketball, bowling); and Joe Kasberger (St. Benedict's Prep athletic coach and a former football star), and two newspaper men, Sid Dorfman of the Star-Ledger and your correspondent.

One could write reams about the sport exploits of these individuals, but this is primarily a story about Munn because, as we mentioned before, he is the first bowler ever to receive the accolades of this association.

During his long career, Whitey, a former iron worker, was a national bowling figure. He hit the headlines first as a member of the Elizabeth Elks of the old New Jersey State Elks League. He was top man in that league for so many years that it wasn't funny. He also performed with many other championship teams in New Jersey and carved out a sensational record in national competition.

In 11 national championship tournaments he averaged over 200 an in the American Bowling Congress tournament he was a 10-year leader with an average of 200.47.

Munn also rolled 10 perfect 300 games along the way, but he will mostly be remembered as a marathon bowler. Whitey had the strength of a bull and he needed it because he fired a sweeping hook ball, one of the most difficult to control, and one of the most taxing on a mans muscles. But, of course, Whitey had muscles to spare. If it were not for a hand injury that cut his career in its prime we are sure that Whitey would still be in there with the best of them.
In June of 1942 Munn competed in the world's marathon championship at Phoenixville, Pa., against 72 of the nation's top performers and he won the title on scores of 210, 188, 222, 299, 207, and 240 for a 228 average.

He held the title for several years, but, to our mind, his greatest feat came about in 1941. He was challenged by Frank Serpico of Philadelphia to a 100-game match for a very substantial purse. The first 50 games were rolled at Serpico's Philadelphia alleys, which, of course, were strange to Munn and the second 50 at the Newark Recreation Center.

Serpico and Munn rolled 50 games a day, 25 in the afternoon and 25 at night. After the first 50 games in Philadelphia there was no contest. Munn averaged 231 and, on the way, hit scores of 300 and 279. His average from the sixth game to the 25th-20 contest-was 251, a mark that is unequalled in bowling history.

Big Advantage
Serpico averaged 208.14 for the first 50 games and they entered the second 50 games at Newark with Munn holding an advantage of 1,174 pins. In these 50 games Whitey went into a "slump". He was able to average only 217.27 but he did manage to fire scores of 278, 276, and 275. Serpico averaged 196.15, an average we will take any time.

In addition to bowling, Munn was a fair country baseball player. He served five years on convoy duty with the navy in the first World War and during that period he pitched the USS Wyoming to the championship of the United States fleet. Anybody want to bowl 50 games? We'll get Whitey out of moth balls.