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January 20, 2022
Firearm Industry Inducts Six Leaders into NSSF Hall of Fame
Six whose contributions strengthened industry and expanded the shooting sports
are honored at 2022 SHOT Show
LAS VEGAS — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearm industry, honored six new inductees to its Hall of Fame at the 2022 SHOT Show®, recognizing them for their vision and leadership in strengthening industry and expanding the shooting sports.
Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO, and Robert Scott, Chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors, highlighted the contributions of five men and one woman in remarks made at the NSSF Members Meeting today at the SHOT Show. SHOT Show is the largest trade show of hunting, shooting, law enforcement and outdoor-related products in the world. More than 2,400 companies are exhibiting at the show.
“Honoring past leaders and their accomplishments, while at the same time keeping our focus on the future, is something we all should do. Our industry, our products, our shooting and hunting activities and our past leaders are part of America’s story and heritage. They deserve respect and praise,” said Bartozzi.
The inductees and their accomplishments are detailed in large panels erected in a heavily trafficked section of the SHOT Show. “The contributions of these six inductees are directly linked to the success of this great trade show, the embracing of firearm ownership in America and the enjoyment of the shooting sports,” said Bartozzi.
NSSF unveiled the Hall of Fame and inducted the inaugural class of six at the 2020 SHOT Show. No Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place in 2021 when SHOT Show was conducted virtually due to the pandemic, so this year’s ceremony included Hall of Fame classes of three each for 2021 and 2022.
The 2021 class of inductees to the NSSF Hall of Fame are:
- Jack Durrett was a long-time firearm industry leader and member and Chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors during a critical and challenging time in industry history. He led Michaels of Oregon, as President, CEO and Chairman. He provided energetic leadership during the challenging years of the late 1990s and early 2000s when the industry was challenged by a flood of politically motivated lawsuits. He was instrumental in the creation of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund (HSSHF), which raised tens of millions of dollars to successfully fight those political lawsuits and safeguard the future of industry.
- Gerald “Jerry” Bersett embarked on a career with Olin Corporation in 1965 from which he would rise to lead three of industry’s premier companies. With the absorption of Olin by the Winchester Group, Bersett would go on to become President of Winchester. He later became President and COO with Sturm, Ruger & Co. and then moved on to become President of the Blount Sporting Equipment Group. Standing six-foot-six and with a deep voice, Bersett was a presence; he was a member and Chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors and board member of SAAMI, WMI and CSF.
- Arlen Chaney served on the NSSF Board of Governors and was its Chairman from 1986-1994. Recognizing that industry needed a major source of funding to promote hunting and shooting and counter attacks on the shooting sports, Chaney served on the original SHOT Show-creation committee. He nurtured the NSSF’s “Hunters Pay for Conservation” program distribution to over 100,000 schools and played a leading role in bringing the shooting sports to ESPN television. For 30 years, Chaney served the Blount Sporting Equipment Division, whose brands included CCI, Speer, RCBS, Outers and Weaver.
The 2022 class of inductee to the NSSF Hall of Fame are:
- Alan Mossberg successfully continued the legacy his grandfather Oscar began more than 100 years ago when he founded O.F. Mossberg & Sons—the oldest American family-owned and -operated firearms manufacturer. Serving as the company’s President for more than half a century, his influence within the organization and across the industry has been widespread. He twice served as Chairman of the Board of SAAMI, provided extensive resources to many conservation and shooting sports organizations, and led the charge on advanced firearm safety initiatives. He was a recipient of NSSF’s Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Sue King spent decades enthusiastically promoting women’s shooting, and her efforts helped lay the groundwork for the extraordinary growth of women’s participation seen today. A Life Member of NRA, TSRA, NSSA and WSSF, King served on the Board of Directors of NRA, TSRA, NSSA and Katy Prairie Conservancy. Her many awards include the NRA Women’s Freedom Award, Film Industry “Telly” for producing “The Perfect Sport For Women” and Shooting Industry’s Award of Excellence. She was a founder and first Executive Director of the Women’s Shooting Sports Foundation, which introduced thousands of women to shooting and supported women’s charities through events like the Ladies Charity Classic.
- JB Hodgdon has continued the legacy of Hodgdon Powder Company started by his father and helped grow it into the preeminent supplier of gunpowder and replica black powder for handloading and muzzleloading enthusiasts. Hunting trophies from around the world in his home and Hodgdon offices are a testament to his passion for hunting and shooting. JB is a life benefactor member of the NRA, life member of the Kansas State Rifle Association and member of Safari Club of America, Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited. He is devoted to supporting youth involvement in the shooting sports through his work with Boy Scouts of America, Philmont Scout Ranch and National 4-H Shooting Sports. He is the recipient of the Shooting Industry Award and NRA’s Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award.
This prestigious group of 2021 and 2022 NSSF Hall of Fame inductees joins the inaugural class from 2020: Warren “Lefty” Page, legendary shooting editor at Field & Stream and former NSSF President; Harmon Williams, former President of Browning and member of the first NSSF Board of Governors; Charles Dickey, writer, wartime pilot and early Executive Director of NSSF; Arnold “Rocky” Rohlfing, NSSF Executive Director who oversaw the launch of the SHOT Show; Bill Talley, Chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors, executive at Winchester and key player in creating the SHOT Show; and Ted Rowe, longtime industry leader, member of the NSSF, SAAMI and World Forum on Shooting Activities boards, and literally “the man who named the SHOT Show.”
“The NSSF Hall of Fame reminds all Americans of the pride we take in our industry and the firearm-owning community and what our leaders then and now stand for—the freedom to make, own and use firearms responsibly in America,” said Bartozzi.
Learn more about the NSSF Hall of Fame at NSSF.org/about-us/HallofFame.
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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
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Media contact:
Bill Brassard
203-426-1320 ext. 212
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