King and Queen.

Marion Ladewig and Don Carter were queen and king of the country's most popular participation sport. With the advent of automatic pinsetters and more-predictable wood oils, bowling became a game that was fun, accessible to all, and fairly easy to master. It was not surprising then that champions came from common origins. A truly middle-class sport for middle-class people, bowling was, in its own way, the greatest success story of the decade.

The Handicap.

Bowling tournaments were televised locally all across the country. Handicap tournaments which allowed lesser bowlers an advantage calculated on the basis of previous performances, were popular in bowling alleys all over the country. Ordinary Joes could battle professionals such as the great Don Carter, with a reasonable expectation to make the pros at least sweat. By the end of the decade, the ABC television network was preparing to...