In early 1945 Art Stellmacher was appointed as chairman to find a place for tenpin bowlers to bowl and to organize the Washington City Tenpin Bowling Association. Under special Moral Support Sanction issued by the American Bowling Congress, the bowlers started bowling in September 1945 and elected Art as the first President of the Association.Back to Hall of FameMr. Stellmacher was elected as Secretary in 1946 when he organized and conducted the first annual city championship tournament in which ABC President Gep, German, assisted by two U. S. Senators and two Congressmen, rolled out the first ball. Not content with bowling conditions as they were, Art assisted other bowlers in the formation of a bowler's corporation to open the first all tenpin establishment in the area. Located in the City of Alexandria the lanes were the pride and joy of many bowlers when it opened in September of 1947.
The strain of his duties as secretary was too much for Art as he was suffering with a bad lung wound received in military service and he resigned his association position.
In 1955 Mr. Stellmacher was admitted to Hines General Hospital in Chicago where it was found necessary to remove one lung. Altho his actual bowling days were over he never lost his love for the game and took a job with the ABC tournament as scorekeeper for two years. Again poor health forced him to quit and he retired to his home in Illinois where he died in 1962.