Bon Jovi, Shaq, Abbott and Costello make N.J. Hall of Fame
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200...and_coste.html
by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
Monday February 02, 2009, 10:00 AM
The New Jersey Hall of Fame announced today the 13 inductees for the 2009 class, which includes Jon Bon Jovi, Jerry Lewis, basketball great and Newark native Shaquille O'Neal, and the comedic duo Abbott and Costello.
The winners are selected through a three-step process culminating in a three-month public vote. The class of 2009 also includes poets Walt Whitman and William Carlos Williams, Rutgers alum Paul Robeson, Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, tennis legend Althea Gibson, father of radio communications Guglielmo Marconi, scientist Carl Sagan, and writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The 13 latest Hall of Fame members chosen from this list will join the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep and Buzz Aldrin when they are inducted into the hall on May 3 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The gala red carpet ceremony will honor the inductees or their families, and tickets for the public will be available after the middle of February through the NJPAC office.
The Hall of Fame was created to honor Garden State residents who made significant contributions to New Jersey and the world at large. Representatives of 100 state organizations make up the Hall's Academy, which reviews lists of potential nominees provided by panels of experts in sports, the arts and history. The inductees will join the 15 inaugural members of the Hall, who were honored last May.
Exhibits about the inductees will be located at NJPAC, the Izod Center in East Rutherford and locations in Central and South Jersey this year. The New Jersey Hall of Fame plans to create a mobile museum to take to school districts around the state.
The full list of inductees, broken down into categories:
History:
Paul Robeson. Scholar, actor, athlete, singer, political activist; outspoken opponent of racism.
Walt Whitman. Among the most influential poets in history.
Enterprise:
Guglielmo Marconi. Italian-born inventor who won Nobel Prize for contributions to the development of wireless technology.
Carl Sagan. World-famous astronomer, scientist, author of popular science books.
Arts & Entertainment:
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Famed comedy duo.
Jon Bon Jovi. Rock musician also recognized for humanitarian work.
Jerry Lewis. Comedian, actor known for charity fundraising telethons
Sports:
Althea Gibson. First African-American to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament (French Open, 1956).
Shaquille O'Neal. All-star NBA basketball player.
Phil Rizzuto. Baseball Hall of Famer and beloved Yankees shortstop, equally famous as a radio and television announcer.
General:
F. Scott Fitzgerald. Regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
William Carlos Williams. Doctor and writer; winner of the first National Book Award for poetry and a Pulitzer Prize
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200...and_coste.html
02-03-2009, 02:05 AM
