Doras Knowlton-Kropf
When Doras Knowlton-Kropf picked up her first bowling ball in 1947, little did she realize how much success she would have at the sport. Our first female Hall of Fame member in the accomplishment category has been very successful. This smooth stroking right hander was one of the premier bowlers of her time. Doras started bowling in 1947, in the Franklin House Hotel basement in Montague in her late 20's. Who knows how good she would have been if she had the chance to bowl in junior leagues like so many of our kids today.
Doras has had many highlights in her career both in team bowling and in individual areas. She bowled for the powerful Drewrys Beer team in the Northway All Stars league that won four league championships. Doras also bowled for Chimont Machine in Whitehall that won many, many league championships. Doras's individual statistics are quite impressive. She had the G.M.W.B.A. high game of the season-five times in her illustrious career, with the highest being her career high game of 279. Doras also won the Muskegon Chronicle Award for the association high series of the year two times, the highest being her career best 665. Her best average of 180 was also the high average for the association in the 1960-61 season. Doras also accomplished high average for the association twice more before she gave up bowling in 1991.
Doras felt that tournament time was special and, it showed, because she definitely bowled extremely well in tournaments. Over the years, during the G.M.W.B.A. tournament, Doras took home quite-a-bit of hardware. Doras never won a singles title but won doubles actual four times and doubles handicap once. She was on teams that won the actual title three times and handicap once. Doras won the all-events actual title twice in her career, as well as, having the tournament game two times and high tournament series once.
Doras also was the first G.M.W.B.A. member to roll three consecutive 600 series in the same league. According to the Muskegon Chronicle, when Doras rolled her 279 game in the 1972-73 season it was one of the top five games in G.M.W.B.A. history. Doras also found time away from the lanes to be a director on the G.M.W.B.A. Board for a number of years, as well as, being a Certified Bowling Instructor from 1961-63 for youth bowlers. Foe her accomplishments on the lanes, Doras is a welcome addition to the Greater Muskegon Bowling Hall of Fame. Welcome, Doras.