Lowell Jackson

Veterans 

Lowell Jackson
City: Dallas
State: TX
Inducted: 2003

Lowell Jackson unofficially became the first true professional in bowling when he signed a contract to bowl exhibitions for Brunswick at age 20. Jackson won match game and all-events championships in St. Louis, Tennessee, New Orleans, Dallas and Houston during his colorful career. He also was founder and long-time captain of the famous Hermann's Undertakers team in St. Louis. During the 1935 St. Louis city tournament, where Jackson and partner Sam Garafolo bowled a 585 game that stood as the USBC Open Championships doubles record for 28 years. His most amazing feat, however, was topping bowlers from 42 other states for the right to compete for the 1939 and 1940 National Match Games Championships. Beyond his exploits as a bowler, the nearly blind Jackson altered the game forever when he introduced the idea of using "markers" (dots and arrows) on the lanes for targeting purposes.