December 7, 2010 — NCAUSBCA has learned that Hall of Famer Paul Yost Sr. died Sunday evening at age 96 in Vista, Calif., where he lived with his daughter.
Yost moved to Washington, D.C. from Charlotte, N.C. where he worked for the Agriculture Department. He later joined the Metropolitan Police Department and was assigned to the White House, where he retired in 1967 as a captain.
He began his bowling career in February 1950 when he helped organize the White House Bowling League. He became a charter member and was the league's first president, in addition to holding all other offices in the league. He also helped organize and was the first president of the Double-Couples League at Bowl America Silver Hill in 1960. He became a certified instructor for the American Junior Bowling Congress in 1963 and spent considerable time in this endeavor for several years.
Yost was elected to the Washington City Tenpin Bowling Association as a director in 1952 and as a vice president in 1960. He became the association's 15th president in 1964, during which time the association experienced considerable growth.
He was directly responsible for accepting General Vaughan's offer for the White House Police to use President Truman's two bowling lanes. Yost was instrumental in having the White House Lanes certified for membership in the American Bowling Congress and thereby becoming affiliated with the Washington City Tenpin Bowling Association. He arranged to have many bowling stars brought to the White House Lanes for exhibitions.
His sincere dedication to improve the game of bowling was very evident during the association's struggling years in the early 1950s. During his travels across the country and always locally, he talked and promoted the game of bowling and was in every way "Mr. Ambassador of Bowling."
Paul Yost Sr. was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981.