LEONARD S. RAY

Leonard S. Ray was born in Washington, D.C. on November 16, 1928. He attended Howard University from 1948to 1953, majoring in architecture and engineering, and minoring in mathematics and art. Through the Reserve Officers Training Corps program, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

Len has four children: daughters Linda and Gail, and sons Leonard Jr. and Gary, as well as 11 grandchildren. His wife, Frances, died In December 1980.

Len was introduced to bowling in the early 1950s by Margarette Uncles, Earlese Carey, and Alberta Coble at the Petworth Bowling Lanes, where he also served his turn as pinsetter.

In 1969, Keith Adams recommended Len for the NCABA Board of Directors. Since his election to the Board, Len has served on almost every committee and has been the Lane Inspection Coordinator. He was Director of the Year in 1972 and NCABA President in 1978-79. He also received the Past President's Award for outstanding service to the Washington City Tenpin Association for 1972-73.

As a Past President and Life Member, he has been a delegate to all of the ABC Conventions and has participated in 18 ABC Tournaments. He also attended NCABA meetings and tournaments, once finishing second in the doubles with Keith Adams. Len has a high game of 267 and a top series of 696.

In 1987, Len retired as director of the Defense Logistics Agency's Audiovisual Information Program after serving the Federal Government for 39 years. Upon retiring, he applied to replace Robert Hennessy as NCABA Secretary and was appointed by the Board of Directors in 1987.

Len's goal as Secretary was to provide timely service to the bowlers by speeding up the sanctioning and awards processing actions. Due in part to his efforts, sanctioning was completed by mid-November and awards have been issued promptly.

Len is currently serving on two ABC subcommittees. The Audit & Budget Committee was tasked with justifying a dues increase to 10 dollars. The Minority Concerns Subcommittee provided guidelines to ABC and its affiliates for improving minority involvement in their daily operations. This subcommittee also develops plans for recruiting ethnic groups from all localities to become members of the American Bowling Congress.

Locally, Len serves on the Industry Relations Committee, comprised of the men's and women's associations, the Vir-Mar-District YABA, and the Metropolitan Washington Bowling Proprietors' Association. His focus is on educating the bowler through informational videos played on the overhead scorers, plus the league president's verification form, and the league checklist. Checklist display boards will be posted in each center showing the key tasks of the league officers and committees, and when these tasks have been accomplished.

Leonard S. Ray's dedication to the sport of bowling for over 23 years as a member of the NCABA Board of Directors and his overwhelming desire to serve the bowlers of this area make him a truly outstanding and deserving member of the NCABA Hall of Fame.