Tom Jennings

          (1924 - 2013   )

Class of 1999
Influence on the Sport

Tom Jennings career as a master bowyer began in 1936, making his first bow at the age of 12. With it he shot the required score to earn a Boy Scout Merit Badge, and he honed his shooting skills hunting small game in California.

Jennings was the driving force in the equipment revolution that brought the compound bow into virtually every facet of competitive archery and bowhunting, The high performance of Jennings compound bows was to create a greater impact than that achieved with the recurves a decade earlier.

Tom clearly states his love of bowhunting, but his real passion, in his own words, was to build the "ultimate bow."

     Notes of Interest

• Known as “Mr. Compound Bow,” First Man to Mass Produce and Promote the Compound Bow Nationwide

• Master Bowyer and Partner with M. R. Smithwick at S&J Archery in Southern California

• Pioneered Cosmetic and Functional Improvements in Laminated Recurve Bows

• Purchased the First License Under H. W. Allen Patent to Manufacture and Market the Jennings Compound Bow; Introduced First 2 and 4-Wheel Compounds

• Successfully Pushed for Acceptance of the Compound Bow in Target Archery and Bowhunting

• Life Member National Field Archery Association