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EAST
RUTHERFORD, NJ – Princeton,
Hoboken, Freehold, Bernardsville, Montclair … almost
two dozen towns will hold bragging rights to the first
class of inductees to the New Jersey Hall of Fame to
be feted at a gala red carpet induction ceremony on
Sunday, May 4th at the New Jersey
Performing Arts Center in Newark. Beginning with a
walk on the red carpet at
4:30 PM and
followed by a 5:30 official state ceremony hosted by
the honorary chair Governor Jon S. Corzine, the
festivities will be open to the public.
Launched in the fall of 2005, the New Jersey Hall of
Fame has been created to honor those who have made
significant contributions to the state, the country
and the world. When the museum is built, it will also
provide important role models for young people. The
board plans to raise funds and construct an
interactive museum which will be an educational
resource where visitors can learn about those who have
excelled and made a difference in our lives.
This
year’s class includes three inductees from each of
five categories: Arts & Entertainment, Enterprise,
General, Historical and Sports. The inductees come
from many different towns across the state. Princeton
was home to four of the inductees, including Albert
Einstein, Toni Morrison, Bill Bradley and Malcolm
Forbes, who lived much of his life in Far Hills.
Thomas Edison, who grew up in Newark, lived and worked
in Menlo Park and West Orange. Montclair is the
hometown for astronaut Buzz Aldrin and baseball legend
Yogi Berra, but also is associated with Senator Bill
Bradley. Coach Vince Lombardi began his legendary
career at St. Cecilia’s High School in
Englewood.
Some
inductees are associated with more than one town,
including Robert Wood Johnson II (New Brunswick,
Highland Park and Raritan), Meryl Streep (Summit and
Bernardsville) and Bruce Springsteen (Freehold, Colts
Neck and Asbury Park). On the other hand, several Hall
of Fame inductees spent their New Jersey years in one
location, including Frank Sinatra (Hoboken), Harriet
Tubman (Cape May), Clara Barton (Bordentown) and
General Norman Schwarzkopf (Trenton).
The
gala red carpet event on May 4th promises
to be an exciting evening with several
New Jersey
artists backed by the popular La Bamba and the
Hubcaps, led by New Jersey’s own Rich Rosenberg, best
known for his work on the Conan O’Brien Show as well
as with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and
Bruce Springsteen.
The
New Jersey Conference of Mayors is a member of the New
Jersey Hall of Fame Voting Academy, a distinguished
roster comprised of the State’s leading organizations.
The Voting Academy is responsible for selecting the
top nominees in the five categories for public vote,
based on recommendations of a selected panel of
experts from academia and the press.
The
2008 nominations will be announced in September to
coincide with the start of school. Many districts
around the state use the voting as a basis for
instruction and civics lessons. In addition, the Hall
of Fame hosts a statewide essay contest which invites
students to write about their selections for the Hall
of Fame. Essay contest winners for both the 2007 and
2008 competitions will be special guests at the gala
induction ceremony.
The
members of the Board of Commissioners of the New
Jersey Hall of Fame are Randy Beverly, Rick Cerone,
Herb Gilsenberg, Veronica Goldberg, William Kettleson,
Virginia Littell, Lynn Nowak, Bart Oates, John
O’Brien, Judy Raines and Cesar Shapiama.
More
information and updates on the gala can be found
on-line at
www.njhalloffame.com. The major sponsors for the
Hall of Fame include the NJSEA, NJEA, J.H. Cohn LLC,
the New Jersey Devils and sanofi-aventis. |
