Looking through Peggy Elias' eyes it's obvious that Eddie Elias had a love affair with his family and his adopted PBA 'Boys'

Eddie Elias was many things to many people, but not many people really knew what made this genius tick and how many lives he impacted in the sports, entertainment, television, advertising and business worlds.

Most members of the Professional Bowlers Association knew him as the man who founded the PBA in 1958. A few PBA members like Don Carter and Carmen Salvino knew him as a shrewd business man and their agent.

Many TV executives in New York City knew him as a man with a great imagination for inventing new programs. Ditto for CEOs at big advertising firms on Madison Ave. Many celebrities from the sports and entertainment world knew him as a gregarious man with a magic touch when it came to their futures.

Peggy Elias knew him first as her agent and then her beloved husband for a few days shy of 30 years. They were married Nov., 21, 1968, at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. Eddie, who suffered a major stroke May 1, 1995, died Nov. 15, 1998 -- just six days shy of their 30th anniversary -- in Naples, Fla.

They had two children -- Rainy Margaret was born July 26, 1971, and Annie Marlo was born Dec. 25, 1974 -- and after their births Eddie Elias had this to say about his life: "Now I know WHY I WAS BORN."

Eddie Elias had no sons, but he considered the thousands of PBA members as 'My Boys.' During the early years of the PBA, Eddie would introduce the field at the Firestone Tournament of Champions as "my boys" and he meant it. Each and every one was special and the media attending the dinners at the Firestone Country Club knew it.

They were all his 'boys' although a few of the pro bowlers were older than Eddie in the beginning. Eddie Elias was born to make life a better place for so many people from so many walks of life that his amazing life still has life 10 years after his death.

He certainly made life better for Peggy Emerson, a beautiful and talented Akron native who represented Ohio in the 1963-64 Miss America Pageant. Her singing voice at the Pageant attracted a talent scout for Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians.

Betty Jaycox, women's editor for the Akron Beacon Journal, kept her readers informed about Peggy's professional singing career with the Pennsylvanians. "Betty felt that I should go to New York to seek my fortune," Peggy recalled of the lady who became like a family member. "So she called Eddie at his Akron office and asked if he could meet with me and somehow help me out in New York.

"When I first met him, I was scared to death. The way he looked at me with his piercing eyes, looking at me from head to toe.
"He frightened me so, I told him 'I want to sing with Billy Graham.'"
"Eddie Elias envisioned a career for Peggy Emerson in modeling, commercials or singing professionally should be her focus.

"He made a few phone calls to friends in New York City and "within three weeks William Morris sent me on an interview at the Allied Chemical Company at 42nd and Broadway and I got the job with seven other models wearing the Allied Chemical Fiber Division's new nylon fabric Caprolan" she recalled.

That was the beginning of Peggy Emerson's rapid success story in New York and her slow developing romance with Eddie Elias. What followed was Eddie Elias being a great agent for Eddie Elias when it came to wooing Peggy Emerson.

"Eddie wrote me a letter and said, 'If you want to make it in this business, then don't drink, don't smoke and only date on the weekends.'

"I listened."

'When Eddie would come into New York he would take me out to lunch with some of his buddies from the ABC Network just to see how I was doing in the Big City. He also would call occasionally and this continued for a year and half. After that we began dating. One evening he took me to Roone Arledge's home for dinner. Howard Cosell said to Eddie, 'How can you let his girl get away from you?'"

Eddie didn't in the long run and after another 18 months of dating they were married. "Besides, Peggy Emerson knew Eddie Elias was the real deal. As her manager, she began getting two commercials a month, which was unheard of in those days. This was not small time stuff, Peggy Emerson was commanding from $25,000 to $100,000 for doing commercials for such firms as Texaco and Colgate.

Peggy and Eddie used to joke that he told himself, 'Hey, maybe I have something here." "After we married we came back to Akron and had babies."

At that time, Eddie Elias' professional baby – the PBA – was already 10 years old and growing in Akron, Ohio.

If a bowler were keeping score on Eddie Elias' life, he would write XXXXXXXXXXXX for a perfect game in all facets of his life.

Early in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the PBA ,I talked Peggy Elias into sitting down and answering 12 questions for me on the life and legendary accomplishments of Eddie Elias. After reading her answers I realize that although I thought I knew the man, but in reality I didn't know much.

The 12 questions and answers follow:

QUESTION: "In the early days, did Eddie worry that the PBA would survive?"
ANSWER: "Eddie had no doubt that the PBA would survive; he didn't know how successful it would become."

QUESTION: " What did Eddie consider the crucial breakthrough for the tour?"
ANSWER: "When Eddie managed to get the contract signed for the PBA, with the ABC TV network. Through this medium he would have access to other sponsors and provide other income."

QUESTION: " How did he come up with the idea of getting commercial sponsors for all the tour stops?"
ANSWER: "Eddie always knew it was a "Two Way Street", you get good commercial sponsors and you get good tour stops. He believed both sides had to benefit."

QUESTION: "How did he achieve such a close relationship with the ABC-TV network leaders and Madison Avenue executives since he lived in Akron?"
ANSWER: "Eddie lived in New York half the time. He worked on other projects with the network. He received a retainer from ABC to work on many projects. The network needed some advice about a series they were doing 'Batman and Robin'.
"They asked Eddie what was wrong with this pilot. Eddie said, 'Batman and Robin are not wearing their seat belts.'
"Eddie and Marlo Thomas signed a contract with ABC for 'That Girl,' which ran for five years.
"ABC's Wide World of Sports won the rights for the Olympics and they asked Eddie to come up with the marketing strategy for the Olympics.
"Eddie felt that Living in Akron gave him a better pulse of what the majority of people in America wanted to see on TV and what was more mid-America than Akron/Cleveland. He combined Madison Avenue with the mainstream America.
"While working his way through Western Law School, Eddie had a lot of experience in television. He was the Sportscaster for The Eddie Elias' WAKR, Trophy Room television show, Tuesday and Thursday nights, and radio.

QUESTION: "Where did the PBA rate in his mind and heart among his sensational business accomplishments?"
ANSWER: "They were "His Boys"! He was constantly aware of their families and what it cost the Bowlers to be out on tour. This gave him more incentive to seek higher tournament winnings, more sponsors so as to give them a better life.
"Eddie bent over backwards to help the Pro Bowlers. Some bowlers wanted to purchase their own bowling centers and Eddie would work with their banks, try to get funds so they could do so. They were "His Babies", he was proud of them and he took that responsibility, as "Father of the PBA", profoundly.

QUESTION: "How did it come about that Eddie became the business agent of the early pioneers like Dick Weber and Don Carter? Do you know of any more he represented?"
ANSWER: "When Eddie realized a lot of bowlers had no representation he would help any person who needed advice. Once he asked Dick Hoover, "how is your bowling association going", and Dick said, "There isn't any".
"As Eddie became more involved, the bowlers would come to him; Buzz Fazio, Steve Nagy, Don Carter, Dick Weber, Eddie represented Don Carter, Dick Weber, Carmen Salvino, Chris Schenkel, Nelson Burton Jr., Billy Welu, etc.

QUESTION: "Did He think that Commissioner Joe Antenora was a strong leader?"
ANSWER: "He thought Joe had great organizational skills. Eddie was forming a new organization and he respected Antenora and knew he could bring people together. One thing for sure, Joe would tell Eddie the Truth."

QUESTION: "How did Eddie feel when the ABC network announced it was reducing its rights money for each telecast from nearly $200,000 to $50,000?"
ANSWER: "Eddie wasn't happy about it because it created more work for him, but he was a realist. The Professional Bowling Tour was one of the longest running sports series in all sports, next to college football. But, he was looking beyond this by approaching NBC and CBS."

QUESTION: "Did he worry about the decline in the PBA TV ratings in the later years?"
ANSWER: "Yes, sure he did. The Professional Bowling Tour had been the (lead in) for Wide World of Sports for 36 years. Cable TV was coming into play, which created tremendous competition. Wide World of Sports got hurt and so did the PBA ratings."

QUESTION: "After his stroke, (May 1, 1995) how happy was he to gather with his old boys during a PBA Senior Tournament in Naples, Fla.?"
ANSWER: "He reacted as though he was reunited with his family that he hadn't seen for years. Eddie said, "This is one of the happiest days of my life". Eddie also tried to keep in close contact with his close PBA associates, Mike Connor, Mark Gerberich, Chuck Pezzano, Frank Esposito, Bud Fisher, Johnny Petraglia, Earl Anthony, Dick Weber.

QUESTION: "Please name some of the other famous personalities and businesses that Eddie represented during his amazing career?"
ANSWER: "Tommy Bolt was his first client. Tommy, lost his temper, and had thrown his golf club into the water at the Firestone Golf Tournament, Eddie defended him. Other Clients were Chi Chi Rodriguez, Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue, Phyllis George, Donna DeVarona, Mike Reagan, Ralph Nadar, Ronnie Seikaly (Center/Miami Heat), Ken Venturi, Gary McCord, David Feherty, Peter Kostis, Fuzzy Zoeller, Bob Murphy, Dale Douglas, Judy Dickinson, Dale Eggling, Dave Hill, Don January, Bobby Rahal, Bobby Knight, Edward J. DeBartolo Corp., ABC Network Consultant, Shafer/Elias Oil Drilling Co., Real Estate, Daisy Productions, (That Girl), BMG Entertainment, etc."

QUESTION: "Do you ever drive over to the University of Akron and go in the Eddie Elias Bowling complex and watch the students bowl and feel a certain sense of pride over your husband's contributions to bowling?"
ANSWER: "Yes, I visit the Center often and it gives me great pride and fulfillment to see the plans coming to fruition. We are now in the mist of making the honor wall bearing an image of Eddie and a description of his life and contributions to Bowling, also, honoring the PBA.
"Plans are underway to have a Bowling Tournament among The University of Akron students. The University is planning to award scholarships in Eddie's name, as well.
'I know Eddie would be thrilled and humbled to have this memorial in his name, it also is thrilling to me. Anyone wishing to contribute to Edward G. Elias Foundation can send a check to:
The University of Akron
Department of Development
The Edward G. Elias Bowling Center
Akron, OH 44325-7238."

One final Editor's Note: Eddie Elias touched so many lives in so many ways that I pray his accomplishments will not be erased by time and his impact on the bowling industry never will be forgotten.

Email address: Evans121@aol.com