Hall of Fame for Great Americans facts for kids
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Hall of Fame Complex
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View of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans
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| Location | Bronx Community College campus, The Bronx, New York |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Stanford White |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001567 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 7, 1979 |
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is an outdoor gallery in New York City. It's located on the campus of Bronx Community College (BCC) in the Bronx. This was the first "hall of fame" ever built in the United States.
It was created in 1901 as part of the New York University (NYU) campus. A famous architect named Stanford White designed it. The main idea was to hide a wall behind the Gould Memorial Library. The Hall of Fame honors 102 important Americans. These people were chosen by a special group of voters. The hall itself is a long, open walkway with columns. It's about 630 feet (192 meters) long. Along this walkway, there are spaces for plaques and 96 bronze statues called busts. These busts show the heads and shoulders of the honored people.
A kind person named Helen Gould gave money for the hall in 1900. It officially opened on May 30, 1901. Soon after, it became a symbol of American pride. At first, only plaques for Americans born in the U.S. were included. The first bust was added in 1907. People born outside the U.S. could be honored starting in 1915. Most of the busts were made between 1922 and 1930.
The Hall of Fame became part of BCC in 1973. This happened when NYU sold its Bronx campus. The last people were chosen for the hall in 1976. Since then, it has become less well-known. Some busts were never made because there wasn't enough money. Other busts started to get old and damaged. BCC has fixed up the Hall of Fame many times. In 2017, BCC removed the busts of two Confederate generals, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. This happened after a large protest in Virginia.
Contents
Exploring the Hall's Design
The Hall of Fame is an open-air walkway with columns. It was designed in a classical style by architect Stanford White. He worked for the company McKim, Mead & White. The hall was built as part of New York University's campus in the Bronx. It has spaces for 102 bronze busts. The walkway runs next to other buildings like the Hall of Languages and the Gould Memorial Library. The part around the Gould Library is curved.
Size and Features
The main walkway is about 630 feet (192 meters) long. The first part built was 500 feet (152 meters) long. Another company designed an extra 130-foot (40-meter) section. The Hall of Fame is high up, about 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 meters) above Sedgwick Avenue. The walkway itself is about 10 feet (3 meters) wide. It has walls on the sides that are 4 feet (1.2 meters) high.
The entrances at both ends of the Hall of Fame have special sculpted gates. These gates were given in memory of Mrs. Charles Beatty Alexander's husband. Above the northern gates, it says: "Enter with Joy that those within have lived." Above the southern gates, it says: "Take counsel here of Beauty, Wisdom, Power." The side walls are made of strong granite stone. The columns and bases for the busts are made of limestone. Eight of these bases have special messages carved into them. The ceiling of the walkway is made of special tiles. The roof above is covered with red Spanish tiles.
Busts and Plaques
The Hall of Fame was first planned to have space for 150 plaques. Each plaque was about 2 feet (0.6 meters) tall and 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide. Louis Comfort Tiffany, a famous artist, designed each plaque. They show the person's name, when they lived, and a quote from them. The walls of nearby buildings also have carvings.
As of 2017, there are 96 busts in the hall. These busts sit on top of the side walls. Below each bust is a bronze tablet. This tablet has the person's name, important dates, their achievements, and quotes. Many different artists created these busts over time. People who are honored are grouped together. For example, busts of authors are at the north end. Inventors' busts are at the south end.
Near the Hall of Fame, there is a bust of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. He was a French soldier who helped America in the Revolutionary War. He is the only non-American citizen honored here. Above his bust, it says: "New York University to Lafayette 1932." Below it, he is quoted saying: "I am an American citizen and an American officer."
Museum of the Hall of Fame
Behind the main halls and under the walkway, there are storage rooms. This area used to be the Museum of the Hall of Fame. It had displays and pictures of the honored people. When the Hall of Fame first opened, NYU also used some of this space for classrooms. The museum had six rooms and a hallway. One room was called the Washington Gallery, named after George Washington.
History of the Hall
How it Started
Dr. Henry Mitchell MacCracken, who was the head of NYU, suggested the Hall of Fame in the late 1890s. He wanted to cover up a retaining wall for the Gould Memorial Library. This wall was visible because the ground sloped steeply. Dr. MacCracken said the hall was built "in large part to hard facts of physical geography." He got the idea from a "Hall of Fame" in Munich, Germany. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans was the first of its kind in the U.S. The word "fame" here meant "being well-known," not like today's meaning of "celebrity."
Plans for the Hall of Fame moved forward after Helen Gould gave $100,000 in March 1900. The hall was meant to have plaques for 150 people. Fifty people were to be chosen in 1900. After that, five more names would be added every five years. People could only be chosen if they were born in the U.S. and had died at least ten years before. NYU asked 100 people to be voters in 1900. The cost of the hall had almost doubled to $200,000 by then.
The voters received 252 names to consider. Only 30 of them got enough votes. In October 1900, NYU approved the first people to be included. They also approved adding a section for people born outside the U.S. This section would have space for up to thirty names. The hall opened with 29 names on May 30, 1901. The section for foreign-born people was not built yet. When the Hall of Fame was new, it was so popular that The New York Times newspaper often wrote about who was nominated and elected.
Elections and Popularity
Early Years (1900s-1910s)
NYU considered adding more names in 1902 but decided not to. In 1905, voters chose 26 American-born men, 12 women, and six foreign-born men. A separate hall of fame for women was announced in 1904. Separate elections were held for women and foreign-born men. Five American-born men, three women, and three foreign-born men were chosen that year. Their plaques were dedicated in 1907. The first bust, of Horace Mann, was also added in 1907.
Eleven more names were chosen in 1910. By 1914, the plan for a separate section for foreign-born honorees was canceled. This allowed foreign-born citizens to be included in the main Hall of Fame. In 1915, seven new names were chosen. This included Charlotte Cushman, the first performer to be elected. The Hall of Fame was used as a barracks for 600 soldiers during World War I in 1918. After the war, a new director was appointed.
Mid-Century (1920s-1930s)
Between the two World Wars, the Hall of Fame had up to 50,000 visitors each year. Seven Americans were chosen in 1920. Five busts were added in May 1922. These were the first busts since 1907. That same year, the Hall of Fame stopped having separate elections for women. They also made the rules stricter. Nominees had to have died at least 25 years before. Also, three-fifths of the voters had to agree on a person.
NYU continued to add busts each May. Seven busts were added in 1923, ten in 1924, and five in 1925. Only two men were chosen in the 1925 election. By May 1930, all 65 people chosen so far had busts. Four more men were elected later that year. Their busts were added the next May. By 1935, three more men were chosen. Their busts were added in 1936 and 1937.
Later Years (1940s-1960s)
In 1940, Stephen Collins Foster, a composer, was the only person chosen. This was the first time a musician was elected. It was also the first time only one person was chosen. In 1945, four men were selected. This included Booker T. Washington, the first Black person honored in the hall. His bust was added in May 1946.
Six people were chosen in 1950. These included Susan B. Anthony and Theodore Roosevelt. Their busts were added over the next few years. In 1955, Wilbur Wright, George Westinghouse, and Stonewall Jackson were chosen. NYU wanted to add Wilbur Wright's bust with his brother Orville Wright's. Orville had died in 1948. NYU changed the rules so Orville could be nominated sooner.
Thomas Edison, Henry David Thoreau, and Edward MacDowell were elected in 1960. Edison's bust was added in 1961. Thoreau's was added in 1962. MacDowell's bust was added in 1964. In 1963, special bronze and silver medals were made for each honoree. Orville Wright was finally chosen in 1965, along with Jane Addams, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., and Sylvanus Thayer. Their busts were added over the next few years.
Campus Sale and Last Elections
The Hall of Fame was still well-known in the 1960s. But by the early 1970s, its popularity began to fade. In 1973, NYU sold its Bronx campus to the City University of New York (CUNY). The Hall of Fame was not included in the sale. This caused confusion about who would manage it. In 1974, a group called the Trustees of the Hall of Fame was created. NYU and CUNY agreed to share the costs for three years. Four more people were elected in November 1973. This brought the total to 99 honorees.
By 1976, NYU was thinking about stopping its funding for the hall. The Hall of Fame was far from the subway. This meant fewer visitors came compared to other New York City attractions. About 10,000 people still visited each year. In 1976, the way people were chosen changed. Winners were picked based on points, not just a majority vote. Clara Barton, Luther Burbank, and Andrew Carnegie were elected that year. This was the last election for the Hall of Fame. Some busts were never made due to lack of money.
Caring for the Hall
Challenges (1970s-1990s)
Funding for the Hall of Fame mostly stopped after 1976. All the tour guides were let go. Buses stopped visiting because it was less popular. People also worried about crime in the area. In 1978, a newspaper said its "dignity and grandeur are viewed by almost no one today." The responsibility for the hall was split among different groups. By 1979, there was only one staff member and no money for repairs. Many busts became damaged. Some were even vandalized.
In 1981, money was set aside to fix the leaky roof and walkway. The hall closed for repairs and reopened in 1985. After this, BCC made a video to promote the hall. They also trained new tour guides. The area around the hall started to get better by the late 1980s. But the Hall of Fame remained not very well known. In 1987, only 1,000 visitors came, not counting school trips. In 1991, a new director was hired. One bust was finally installed in 1992.
In 1992, a company was hired to fix the ceiling. Another company restored 90 of the busts. This cost about $40,000. Some experts were concerned that the original look of the busts was changed. The state provided $200,000 for the work. The total cost to restore the hall was $1.3 million. The project finished in 1997. By the late 1990s, the director hoped to start elections again. He also suggested expanding the Hall of Fame into the Gould Library.
Recent Years (2000s-Present)
In 2000, the Bronx borough president offered $500,000 for more repairs. This money would also help make the four missing busts. In 2001, BCC tried to raise $1 million for renovations. But almost two years later, they had only raised $2,000. By 2009, two local historians were mostly taking care of the Hall of Fame. They said about 5,000 visitors came each year. Many of the honored people were no longer well-known.
In 2015, BCC announced plans to raise $25 to $50 million. This money would be for renovating the Gould Library and expanding the Hall of Fame. In August 2017, New York's governor ordered the removal of the busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. This happened after a white supremacist rally in Virginia. After these removals, the Hall of Fame had 96 busts. There was space for six more. CUNY planned to hold an election to fill two spots. However, there was still no money for these elections. By 2018, the Hall of Fame was showing signs of wear. The stone was cracked, and birds were leaving droppings on some busts.
How Honorees Were Chosen
To be nominated, people had to be U.S. citizens. They also had to have died at least 25 years before. This rule was changed in 1922; it used to be 10 years. Also, only people who made a "major contribution to the economic, political, or cultural life of the nation" were considered.
Voting Process
At first, anyone could suggest names during March and April of an election year. By the 1950s, the nomination period lasted a whole year. If someone received many votes in a past election, they were automatically nominated again.
A group of voters, called the board of electors, then decided on each name. They had to send in their votes by October 1. These voters were "the most respected writers, historians, and educators." They also included members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and even Presidents. Each U.S. state had at least one voter. NYU officials were not allowed to be voters. If a voter died or quit, NYU's faculty would choose a new one.
At first, a simple majority vote was needed to choose someone. From 1925 to 1940, three-fifths of the voters had to agree. After the voters chose someone, NYU's senate had to approve it. The senate could have said no, but they never did. For the 1976 election, a point system was used instead of votes. People were nominated into categories like arts, sciences, or government. The person with the most points in each category was chosen. Even though no elections have happened since, the rules were changed in 1979. More categories were added.
The table below shows how many people were elected over the years:
| Year | Total voters | Votes needed | Pct. needed | No. elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage-based vote system | ||||
| 1900 | 100 | 51 | 50% | 29 |
| 1905 | 95 | 48 | 50% | 8 |
| 1910 | 97 | 49 | 50% | 10 |
| 1915 | 99 | 50 | 50% | 9 |
| 1920 | 101 | 51 | 60% | 7 |
| 1925 | 105 | 63 | 60% | 2 |
| 1930 | 107 | 64 | 60% | 4 |
| 1935 | 101 | 61 | 60% | 3 |
| 1940 | 108 | 65 | 60% | 1 |
| 1945 | 93 | 47 | 50% | 4 |
| 1950 | 120 | 61 | 50% | 6 |
| 1955 | 121 | 61 | 50% | 3 |
| 1960 | 141 | 71 | 50% | 3 |
| 1965 | 124 | 63 | 50% | 4 |
| 1970 | 109 | 55 | 50% | 2 |
| 1973 | 134 | 68 | 50% | 4 |
| Point system | ||||
| 1976 | 158 | N/A | 3 | |
Categories of Honorees
The first 50 names were supposed to come from 15 different groups. These included:
- authors and editors
- business people
- inventors
- explorers
- helpers and reformers
- religious leaders
- scientists
- engineers and architects
- lawyers and judges
- artists (musicians, painters, sculptors)
- doctors and surgeons
- politicians and leaders
- soldiers and sailors
- teachers
- other distinguished men and women
These categories were not always strictly followed. Most of the first honorees in 1900 were politicians and leaders. Even decades later, politicians made up the largest group.
List of Honorees
As of 1976, when the last election happened, the Hall of Fame had 102 honorees. Many of them were from New York state. Seven of the Hall of Fame's own voters were later elected to the hall.
| Honoree | Category | Lifetime | Year inducted | Sculptor |
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| John Adams | politicians and statesmen | 1735–1826 | 1900 | John Francis Paramino |
| John Quincy Adams | politicians and statesmen | 1767–1848 | 1905 | Edmond Thomas Quinn |
| Jane Addams | authors and editors | 1860–1935 | 1965 | Granville Carter |
| Louis Agassiz | scientists | 1807–1873 | 1915 | Anna Hyatt Huntington |
| Susan B. Anthony | philanthropists and reformers | 1820–1906 | 1950 | Brenda Putnam |
| John James Audubon | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1785–1851 | 1900 | A. Stirling Calder |
| George Bancroft | authors and editors | 1800–1891 | 1910 | Rudulph Evans |
| Clara Barton | nurse, founder of the American Red Cross |
1821–1912 | 1976 | Bust unexecuted |
| Henry Ward Beecher | clergymen and theologians | 1813–1887 | 1900 | J. Massey Rhind |
| Alexander Graham Bell | inventors | 1847–1922 | 1950 | Stanley Martineau |
| Daniel Boone | missionaries and explorers | 1734–1820 | 1915 | Albin Polasek |
| Edwin Booth | actor | 1833–1893 | 1925 | Edmond Thomas Quinn |
| Louis Brandeis | lawyers and judges | 1856–1941 | 1973 | Bust unexecuted |
| Phillips Brooks | clergymen and theologians | 1835–1893 | 1910 | Daniel Chester French |
| William Cullen Bryant | authors and editors | 1794–1878 | 1910 | Herbert Adams |
| Luther Burbank | scientists | 1849–1926 | 1976 | Bust unexecuted |
| Andrew Carnegie | philanthropists and reformers | 1835–1919 | 1976 | Bust unexecuted |
| George Washington Carver | inventors | 1860s–1943 | 1973 | Richmond Barthé |
| William Ellery Channing | clergymen and theologians | 1780–1842 | 1900 | Herbert Adams |
| Rufus Choate | teachers | 1799–1859 | 1915 | Hermon MacNeil |
| Henry Clay | politicians and statesmen | 1777–1852 | 1900 | Robert Ingersoll Aitken |
| Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) | authors and editors | 1835–1910 | 1920 | Albert Humphreys |
| Grover Cleveland | politicians and statesmen | 1837–1908 | 1935 | Rudulph Evans |
| James Fenimore Cooper | authors and editors | 1789–1851 | 1910 | Victor Salvatore |
| Peter Cooper | inventors | 1791–1883 | 1900 | Chester Beach |
| Charlotte Cushman | actress | 1816–1876 | 1915 | Frances Grimes |
| James Buchanan Eads | engineers and architects | 1820–1887 | 1920 | Charles Grafly |
| Thomas Edison | inventors | 1847–1931 | 1960 | Bryant Baker |
| Jonathan Edwards | clergymen and theologians | 1703–1758 | 1900 | Charles Grafly |
| Ralph Waldo Emerson | authors and editors | 1803–1882 | 1900 | Daniel Chester French |
| David Farragut | soldiers and sailors | 1801–1870 | 1900 | Charles Grafly |
| Stephen Foster | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1826–1864 | 1940 | Walker Hancock |
| Benjamin Franklin | politicians and statesmen | 1706–1790 | 1900 | Robert Ingersoll Aitken |
| Robert Fulton | inventors | 1765–1815 | 1900 | Jean-Antoine Houdon |
| Josiah Willard Gibbs | scientists | 1839–1903 | 1950 | Stanley Martineau |
| William C. Gorgas | physicians and surgeons | 1854–1920 | 1950 | Bryant Baker |
| Ulysses S. Grant | soldiers and sailors rulers and statesmen |
1822–1885 | 1900 | James Earle Fraser & Thomas Hudson Jones |
| Asa Gray | scientists | 1810–1888 | 1900 | Chester Beach |
| Alexander Hamilton | politicians and statesmen | 1755 or 1757–1804 | 1915 | Giuseppe Ceracchi |
| Nathaniel Hawthorne | authors and editors | 1804–1864 | 1900 | Daniel Chester French |
| Joseph Henry | scientists | 1797–1878 | 1915 | John Flanagan |
| Patrick Henry | politicians and statesmen | 1736–1799 | 1920 | Charles Keck |
| Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. | lawyers and judges | 1809–1894 | 1910 | Edmond Thomas Quinn |
| Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. | lawyers and judges | 1841–1935 | 1965 | Joseph Kiselewski |
| Mark Hopkins | teachers | 1802–1887 | 1915 | Hans Hoerbst |
| Elias Howe | inventors | 1819–1867 | 1915 | Charles Keck |
| Washington Irving | authors and editors | 1783–1859 | 1900 | Edward McCartan |
| Andrew Jackson | politicians and statesmen | 1767–1845 | 1910 | Belle Kinney |
| Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson | soldiers and sailors | 1824–1863 | 1955 | Bryant Baker |
| Thomas Jefferson | politicians and statesmen | 1743–1826 | 1900 | Robert Ingersoll Aitken |
| John Paul Jones | soldiers and sailors | 1747–1792 | 1925 | Charles Grafly |
| James Kent | lawyers and judges | 1763–1847 | 1900 | Edmond Thomas Quinn |
| Sidney Lanier | authors and editors | 1842–1881 | 1945 | Hans Schuler |
| Robert E. Lee | soldiers and sailors | 1807–1870 | 1900 | George T. Brewster |
| Abraham Lincoln | politicians and statesmen | 1809–1865 | 1900 | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow | authors and editors | 1807–1882 | 1900 | Rudulph Evans |
| James Russell Lowell | authors and editors | 1819–1891 | 1905 | Allan Clark |
| Mary Lyon | teachers | 1797–1849 | 1905 | Laura Gardin Fraser |
| Edward A. Macdowell | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1860–1908 | 1960 | C. Paul Jennewein |
| James Madison | politicians and statesmen | 1751–1836 | 1905 | Charles Keck |
| Horace Mann | teachers | 1796–1859 | 1900 | Adolph Alexander Weinman |
| John Marshall | lawyers and judges | 1755–1835 | 1900 | Herbert Adams |
| Matthew Fontaine Maury | scientists | 1806–1873 | 1930 | Frederick William Sievers |
| Albert A. Michelson | scientists | 1852–1931 | 1970 | Elisabeth Gordon Chandler |
| Maria Mitchell | scientists | 1818–1889 | 1905 | Emma F. Brigham |
| James Monroe | politicians and statesmen | 1758–1831 | 1930 | Hermon MacNeil |
| Samuel Morse | inventors | 1791–1872 | 1900 | Chester Beach |
| William Thomas Morton | physicians and surgeons | 1819–1868 | 1920 | Helen Farnsworth Mears |
| John Lothrop Motley | authors and editors | 1814–1877 | 1910 | Frederick MacMonnies |
| Simon Newcomb | scientists | 1835–1909 | 1935 | Frederick MacMonnies |
| Thomas Paine | authors and editors | 1737–1809 | 1945 | Malvina Hoffman |
| Alice Freeman Palmer | teachers | 1855–1902 | 1920 | Evelyn Beatrice Longman |
| Francis Parkman | authors and editors | 1823–1893 | 1915 | Hermon MacNeil |
| George Peabody | philanthropists and reformers | 1795–1869 | 1900 | Hans Schuler |
| William Penn | politicians and statesmen | 1644–1718 | 1935 | A. Stirling Calder |
| Edgar Allan Poe | authors and editors | 1809–1849 | 1910 | Daniel Chester French |
| Walter Reed | physicians and surgeons | 1851–1902 | 1945 | Cecil Howard |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | politicians and statesmen | 1882–1945 | 1973 | Jo Davidson |
| Theodore Roosevelt | politicians and statesmen | 1858–1919 | 1950 | Georg J. Lober |
| Augustus Saint-Gaudens | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1848–1907 | 1920 | James Earle Fraser |
| William Tecumseh Sherman | soldiers and sailors | 1820–1891 | 1905 | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
| John Philip Sousa | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1854–1932 | 1973 | Karl H. Gruppe |
| Joseph Story | lawyers and judges | 1779–1845 | 1900 | Herbert Adams |
| Harriet Beecher Stowe | authors and editors | 1811–1896 | 1910 | Brenda Putnam |
| Gilbert Stuart | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1755–1828 | 1900 | Laura Gardin Fraser |
| Sylvanus Thayer | soldiers and sailors | 1785–1872 | 1965 | Joseph Kiselewski |
| Henry David Thoreau | authors and editors | 1817–1862 | 1960 | Malvina Hoffman |
| Lillian Wald | nurse and author | 1867–1940 | 1970 | Eleanor Platt |
| Booker T. Washington | teachers | 1856–1915 | 1945 | Richmond Barthé |
| George Washington | politicians and statesmen | 1732–1799 | 1900 | Jean-Antoine Houdon |
| Daniel Webster | politicians and statesmen | 1782–1852 | 1900 | Robert Ingersoll Aitken |
| George Westinghouse | inventors | 1846–1914 | 1955 | Edmondo Quattrocchio |
| James Abbott McNeill Whistler | musicians, painters and sculptors | 1834–1903 | 1930 | Frederick MacMonnies |
| Walt Whitman | authors and editors | 1819–1892 | 1930 | Chester Beach |
| Eli Whitney | inventors | 1765–1825 | 1900 | Chester Beach |
| John Greenleaf Whittier | authors and editors | 1807–1892 | 1905 | Rudulph Evans |
| Roger Williams | clergymen and theologians | 1603–1683 | 1920 | Hermon MacNeil |
| Emma Willard | teachers | 1787–1870 | 1905 | Frances Grimes |
| Frances Willard | teachers | 1839–1898 | 1910 | Lorado Taft |
| Woodrow Wilson | politicians and statesmen | 1856–1924 | 1950 | Walker Kirtland Hancock |
| Orville Wright | inventors | 1871–1948 | 1965 | Paul Fjelde |
| Wilbur Wright | inventors | 1867–1912 | 1955 | Vincent Glinsky |
People Not Elected
Many people were nominated but never chosen for the Hall of Fame. Some were nominated many times but still didn't get in. For example, Roman Catholic saint Elizabeth Seton and poet Joyce Kilmer were rejected multiple times. Some people who were eventually honored, like Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman, were rejected several times before they were finally selected.
Impact and Legacy
When the Hall of Fame first opened, it quickly became a source of American pride. One writer, Richard Rubin, said it was a "truly democratic institution." This meant anyone could suggest a candidate. Admission was free, and it was seen as belonging to the American people.
The Wall Street Journal newspaper wrote that the Hall of Fame was "a window on early 20th-century ideas of greatness." In 1920, the hall's director called it the "American Westminster Abbey." This compared it to a famous church in London where many important British people are buried. A critic named Paul Goldberger said in 1984 that the hall's design made it "one of the most remarkable places in New York."
After the Hall of Fame for Great Americans opened, more than 700 other "halls of fame" were created across the U.S. By the late 1900s, many of these new halls honored people in specific areas, like a sport.
Starting in the late 1900s, some people raised concerns about who was honored. For example, most students at BCC were Hispanic. But very few of the Hall of Fame's honorees were people of color or women. In 1993, BCC president Roscoe C. Brown Jr. said he was proud of the building's design. But he also said he was "ashamed to be associated with it" because of who was chosen. He felt that while many were "truly great people," others made him "wonder how they got in."
The Hall of Fame has also appeared in movies and TV shows. For example, it was referenced in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The Hall of Fame and other buildings at BCC are often used as filming locations.
See also
In Spanish: Salón de la Fama para Americanos Ilustres para niños
