Sport: Bowling
Born: January 3, 1912
Died: November 1, 1974
Town: Passaic, New Jersey
James McMahon was born January 3, 1912 in Passaic, NJ. Known as “Junie” by family, friends and fans, he became one of the top young bowlers in the state during the Depression and was nationally ranked by the mid-1930s. His smooth delivery and steadiness in the clutch made him a sought-after anchorman on some of the region’s best teams.
Junie topped the 1800 mark at the 1937 American Bowling Congress Championship in his first appearance in the event. He reached that level every year but once through 1949 and averaged 207.1 during a 10-year stretch. By then, he had moved from New Jersey to Chicago, having been recruited by the powerhouse Monarch and Meisterbrau teams.
Junie won the ABC singles title and all-events crown in 1947, and the BPAA All-Star tournament in 1949 and 1951. In 1950, he was named BPAA Bowler of the Year. He moved back to the Garden State in the early 1950s and was inducted into the Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1955. He rolled eight 300 games in major tournaments—and 26 in all during his career—and was an All-American five times.
In 1959, Junie was featured in the first-ever nationally televised bowling match. Hours later, he suffered a stroke and never fully recovered. Junie passed away in Hackensack at the age of 62.