Betty Barbour

Betty Barbour was one of Staten Island’s leading women bowlers from the 1940s through the 1960s. Born in Scotland and raised on Staten Island, she took up bowling after filling in for a team at Pleasant Plains and quickly developed into one of the Island’s top competitors. By the mid-1950s, Betty had captured Staten Island’s women’s individual championship three consecutive years and was competing against nationally known bowlers. She became a fixture atop the Staten Island Women’s Bowling Association Championship standings, winning team and doubles titles throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Her standout 1965 tournament included the All-Events championship with a 1,794 total, the Doubles Net title with Ellen Cotton and the tournament-high series of 641. Even after moving to Florida in 1960, Betty remained an active and successful tournament bowler. Her sustained excellence earned her induction into the Staten Island USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance in 1990.