Dorothy Wise (1914–1995) was an American professional

pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

player. She was born in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

. When she first started playing pool professionally, there were very few national

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...

s for women. She won many local and state tournaments, so she called herself the world champion. The first national tournament for women happened in 1967. She won and kept winning for the next five years. She lost the title in 1972. She played in the final against 13-year-old Jean Balukas. She became a member of the

Billiard Congress of America The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) is the governing body for cue sports in the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is ...

Hall of Fame in 1981. She was the first woman to be made a member. Dorothy learned to play pool from her husband, Jimmy Wise. He managed billiard parlors (where people play pool) in several cities around the western United States. He watched Dorothy win the first national championship in 1967, but died later that year.

Titles & Achievements

* 1967 California State 14.1 Championship * 1967 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship * 1968 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship * 1969 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship * 1970 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship * 1971 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship * 1971 National Billiard News Achievement Award * 1980 WPBA Hall of Fame * 1981

Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame This is the list of people inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's hall of fame to honor outstanding people who, through their competitive skills and dedication, have enriched the sport and industry. Two categories have been established in ...

References

1914 births 1995 deaths American pool players Female pool players Sportspeople from Spokane, Washington Sportspeople from Redwood City, California 20th-century American sportswomen {{Cue-sports-stub