Back to News
January 25, 2024
Firearm Industry Inducts Three Greats into NSSF Hall of Fame
LAS VEGAS — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, today honored three new inductees—Don Gobel, Grits Gresham and Bob Morrison—to its Hall of Fame at the 2024 SHOT Show®. These three leaders were recognized for accomplishments that significantly strengthened industry and expanded the shooting sports.
Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO, praised the contributions of the three individuals in remarks made at the NSSF Members Meeting 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 2,500 exhibitors are displaying their products and services at the 2024 show.
“On behalf of a grateful industry, I take great pride in recognizing trailblazers like Don Gobel, Grits Gresham and Bob Morrison and their many professional accomplishments. They have played important roles in America’s story and heritage of firearm manufacturing and popularizing the shooting sports and hunting. They deserve our respect and praise,” said Bartozzi.
Large panels displaying photos and achievements of the inductees stand in one of the most heavily trafficked sections of the SHOT Show. “The contributions of these three 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.
The 2024 inductees to the NSSF Hall of Fame are:
Don W. Gobel
Don Gobel was a former President and CEO of Browning Arms Company and Winchester Repeating Arms as well as a past chairman of NSSF’s Board of Governors. Gobel led NSSF’s board during some of the firearm industry’s most contentious legislative fights in the final years of Bill Clinton’s two-term presidency. A passionate hunter, he retired from his CEO positions at both Browning and Winchester Repeating Arms in 2001. Don passed away in 2023.
Claude Hamilton “Grits” Gresham
Grits Gresham was one of the industry’s most recognizable writers, photographers and entertainment personalities. For many years, he was the face, spokesman and most visible champion of hunting and the shooting sports on national television. Working alongside NSSF through the 1980s and ‘90s, he hosted the Where to Hunt and Where to Shoot specials on ESPN, broadcasts of the first made-for-TV shooting event, the Sportsman’s Team Challenge, and the Shooting Sports America series on primetime ESPN. A legendary ambassador of the shooting sports, Gresham is a recipient of NSSF’s Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award. Grits passed away in 2008.
Robert Morrison
Bob Morrison’s career in the firearm industry was marked by longevity and his tenure as CEO/President of Taurus International Manufacturing. At Taurus, he energized the company through a series of innovative product introductions. Morrison spearheaded a strategic partnership with the National Rifle Association that boosted participation in the shooting sports, while also working directly with industry leaders as an NSSF board member. Morrison is a recipient of NSSF’s Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award.
“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.
NSSF unveiled the Hall of Fame and inducted the inaugural class of six during the 2020 SHOT Show. See this original group and all subsequent inductees at NSSF.org/HallofFame.
-30-
About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm 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, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
________________________
NSSF Media contact:
Bill Brassard
203-426-1320 ext. 212
Categories: BP Item, Featured, Government Relations, Industry News, Manufacturers, Media, Press Releases, Ranges, Retailers, Top Stories
25650
