Hall of Fame for Great Americans facts for kids

Hall of Fame Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
View of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans
Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Bronx Community College campus, Bronx, New York
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1894
Architect	White, Stanford; Multiple
Architectural style	Classical Revival, Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	79001567
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 7, 1979

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is an outdoor sculpture gallery located on the grounds of Bronx Community College in the Bronx, New York City. It is the first such hall of fame in the United States. Completed in 1900 as part of the University Heights campus of New York University, the 630-foot (192 m) stone colonnade half-encircles the university library and houses 98 bronze portrait busts of a number of prominent Americans. Designed by architect Stanford White (who also designed the library), the Beaux Arts structure was donated by Helen Gould, and was formally dedicated on May 30, 1901. New York University (under severe financial distress) was forced to sell the campus in 1973 to the City University of New York and it became Bronx Community College. Though the Hall's renown has itself faded, its architecture remains, and it stands as a secular national shrine not just to great men (and some women), but to Roman ideals of fame favored at the beginning of the 20th century.

History

Origin and inspiration

The library in 1904; Hall of Fame for Great Americans arcade is visible left and right. Architect Stanford White.

The library and hall stand on the heights occupied by the British army in the autumn of 1776 during its successful attack upon Fort Washington. Dr. Henry Mitchell MacCracken, Chancellor of New York University, was the originator of The Hall of Fame.

It was the first hall of fame in the United States. "Fame" here means "renown" (rather than today's more common meaning of "celebrity"). Chancellor MacCracken acknowledged inspiration from the Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame) in Munich, Germany.

Other monuments of a similar purpose had been built earlier. King Ludwig I of Bavaria actually built two: a Walhalla Ruhmes- und Ehrenhalle near Regensburg, Germany, completed in 1842, and a Ruhmeshalle auf der Anhöhe (Bavarian Hall of Fame), in Munich, completed in 1853. Chancellor McCracken described the evolution of the idea for the Hall of Fame:

The Hall of Fame ... owes its inception in large part to hard facts of physical geography. After the three buildings which were to form the west side of the quadrangle of the New York University College of Arts and Science at University Heights had been planned, it was decided, in order to enlarge the quadrangle, to push them as near as possible to the avenue above the Harlem River. But since the campus level is 170 feet above high tide, and from 40 to 60 feet above the avenue, it was seen at once that the basement stories would stand out towards the avenue bare and unsightly. In order to conceal their walls, a terrace was suggested by the architect, to be bounded at its outer edge by a parapet or colonnade.

But while aesthetics compelled the architect to invent the terrace with its parapet of colonnade, the university's necessity compelled the discovery of an educational use for the architect's structure. Like most persons who have visited Germany, the chairman was acquainted with the "Ruhmes Halle," built near Munich by the King of Bavaria. Like all Americans, he admired the use made of Westminster Abbey, and of the Pantheon in Paris. But the American claims liberty to adopt new and broad rules to govern him, even when following on the track of his Old-World ancestors. Hence it was agreed that admission to this Hall of Fame should be controlled by a national body of electors, who might, as nearly as possible, represent the wisdom of the American people.

Design

North wing of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans showing Alexander Graham Bell and Eli Whitney

The memorial structure is an open-air colonnade, 630 feet in length with space for 102 bronze sculptures, designed in the neoclassical style by architect Stanford White. The library is similar to Low Library at Columbia, designed by White's partner Charles Follen McKim. The colonnade also runs behind (west of) the Hall of Languages to the south, and the Hall of Philosophy to the north.

Carved in stone on pediments of The Hall of Fame are the words "By wealth of thought, or else by mighty deed, They served mankind in noble character. In worldwide good they live forever more."

The base to each sculpture holds a bronze tablet bearing the name of the person commemorated, significant dates, achievements and quotations. Each bronze bust must have been made specifically for The Hall of Fame and must not be duplicated within 50 years of its execution.

Recent years

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is largely forgotten. For two decades before 1997, in fact, it lacked the funds to hold new elections or to commission busts of the people it elected, including Louis Brandeis, Clara Barton, Luther Burbank, and Andrew Carnegie. It took nineteen years to raise the $25,000 needed to commission the bust of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the late 1970s the state spent $3 million restoring the colonnade's crumbling foundation; more recently, it spent another $200,000 to restore the 98 bronze busts, many of which had deteriorated badly. By that time private gifts, which were always the Hall of Fame's primary source of support, had effectively ceased.

In 2001, Bronx Community College organized a US$1 million fund-raising effort to rebuild and expand the Hall of Fame.

Nominations

To be eligible for nomination, a person must have been a native born or naturalized (since 1914) citizen of the United States, must have been dead for 25 years (since 1922; from 1900 through 1920, a nominee had to be dead only 10 years) and must have made a major contribution to the economic, political, or cultural life of the nation. Nominees were elected by a simple majority vote, except from 1925 through 1940, when a 3/5 majority was required. In 1976 a point system replaced the majority vote. Two nominees, Constance Woolson (nominated in 1900) and Orville Wright (elected in 1965), were considered, although being dead only 6 and 17 years respectively.

MacCracken wanted to make sure that the people enshrined in his Hall of Fame were truly famous, not just memorable. So he established a board of electors, composed of men and women who were themselves possessed of some measure of renown, ostensibly people of great character and sound judgment. Over the years that body would include the most respected writers, historians, and educators of their day, along with scores of congressmen, a dozen Supreme Court justices, and six Presidents; seven former electors have themselves been elected to the Hall of Fame. To ensure that nominees would be evaluated with adequate sobriety and perspective, it was decided that no one could be elected who had not been dead for at least twenty-five years. Everyone thought that was just fine; after all, as the old maxim holds, 'Fame is a food that dead men eat'.

The Hall of Fame soon became a focal point for US national pride:

It was a truly democratic institution — anyone could nominate a candidate, admission would be free, and although NYU served as a steward, raising funds and running the elections, the whole thing was technically the property of the American people.

... and people took it very, very seriously. Newspaper publishers used their editorial pages to lobby for or against nominees, and groups like the American Bar Association and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (helped elect "Stonewall" Jackson in 1955 and, without success, Jefferson Davis) waged extensive, expensive campaigns to get "their" candidates elected. Installation ceremonies were elaborate events. For a while the term "Hall of Famer" carried greater cachet than "Nobel laureate", and a hilltop in the Bronx seemed, to many, the highest spot in the country, if not the world.

Classification of honorees

A floor tile at the Hall of Fame denoting the section set aside for busts of Teachers

The first 50 names were required to include representatives of a majority of 15 classes:

• authors and editors
• business men
• inventors
• missionaries and explorers
• philanthropists and reformers
• clergymen and theologians;
• scientists
• engineers and architects
• lawyers and judges
• musicians, painters, and sculptors
• physicians and surgeons
• politicians and statesmen
• soldiers and sailors
• teachers
• distinguished men and women outside of these classes

Honorees

Honorees of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans

Honoree	Image	Classification	Lifetime	Year inducted	Sculptor	Notes
Adams, JohnJohn Adams		politicians and statesmen	1735–1826	1900	Paramino, John FrancisJohn Francis Paramino
Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams		politicians and statesmen	1767–1848	1905	Quinn, Edmond ThomasEdmond Thomas Quinn
Addams, JaneJane Addams		authors and editors	1860–1935	1965	Carter, GranvilleGranville Carter
Agassiz, LouisLouis Agassiz		scientists	1807–1873	1915	Huntington, Anna HyattAnna Hyatt Huntington
Anthony, Susan B.Susan B. Anthony		philanthropists and reformers	1820–1906	1950	Putnam, BrendaBrenda Putnam
Audubon, John JamesJohn James Audubon		musicians, painters and sculptors	1785–1851	1900	Calder, A. StirlingA. Stirling Calder
Bancroft, GeorgeGeorge Bancroft		authors and editors	1800–1891	1910	Evans, RudulphRudulph Evans
Barton, ClaraClara Barton		nurse, founder of the American Red Cross	1821–1912	1976		bust unexecuted
Beecher, Henry WardHenry Ward Beecher		clergymen and theologians	1813–1887	1900	Rhind, J. MasseyJ. Massey Rhind
Bell, Alexander GrahamAlexander Graham Bell		inventors	1847–1922	1950	Martineau, StanleyStanley Martineau
Boone, DanielDaniel Boone		missionaries and explorers	1734–1820	1915	Polasek, AlbinAlbin Polasek
Booth, EdwinEdwin Booth		actor	1833–1893	1925	Quinn, Edmond ThomasEdmond Thomas Quinn
Brandeis, LouisLouis Brandeis		lawyers and judges	1856–1941	1973		bust unexecuted
Brooks, PhillipsPhillips Brooks		clergymen and theologians	1835–1893	1910	French, Daniel ChesterDaniel Chester French
Bryant, William CullenWilliam Cullen Bryant		authors and editors	1794–1878	1910	Adams, HerbertHerbert Adams
Burbank, LutherLuther Burbank		scientists	1849–1926	1976		bust unexecuted
Carnegie, AndrewAndrew Carnegie		philanthropists and reformers	1835–1919	1976		bust unexecuted
Carver, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Carver		inventors	1860s–1943	1973	Barthé, RichmondRichmond Barthé
Channing, William ElleryWilliam Ellery Channing		clergymen and theologians	1780–1842	1900	Adams, HerbertHerbert Adams
Choate, RufusRufus Choate		teachers	1799–1859	1915	MacNeil, HermonHermon MacNeil
Clay, HenryHenry Clay		politicians and statesmen	1777–1852	1900	Aitken, Robert IngersollRobert Ingersoll Aitken
Clemens, Samuel LanghorneSamuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain)		authors and editors	1835–1910	1920	Humphreys, AlbertAlbert Humphreys
Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland		politicians and statesmen	1837–1908	1935	Evans, RudulphRudulph Evans
Cooper, James FenimoreJames Fenimore Cooper		authors and editors	1789–1851	1910	Salvatore, VictorVictor Salvatore
Cooper, PeterPeter Cooper		inventors	1791–1883	1900	Beach, ChesterChester Beach
Cushman, CharlotteCharlotte Cushman		actress	1816–1876	1915	Grimes, FrancesFrances Grimes
Eads, James BuchananJames Buchanan Eads		engineers and architects	1820–1887	1920	Grafly, CharlesCharles Grafly
Edison, ThomasThomas Edison		inventors	1847–1931	1960	Baker, BryantBryant Baker
Edwards, JonathanJonathan Edwards		clergymen and theologians	1703–1758	1900	Grafly, CharlesCharles Grafly
Emerson, Ralph WaldoRalph Waldo Emerson		authors and editors	1803–1882	1900	French, Daniel ChesterDaniel Chester French
Farragut, DavidDavid Farragut		soldiers and sailors	1801–1870	1900	Grafly, CharlesCharles Grafly
Foster, StephenStephen Foster		musicians, painters and sculptors	1826–1864	1940	Hancock, WalkerWalker Hancock
Franklin, BenjaminBenjamin Franklin		politicians and statesmen	1706–1790	1900	Aitken, Robert IngersollRobert Ingersoll Aitken
Fulton, RobertRobert Fulton		inventors	1765–1815	1900	Houdon, Jean-AntoineJean-Antoine Houdon
Gibbs, Josiah WillardJosiah Willard Gibbs		scientists	1839–1903	1950	Martineau, StanleyStanley Martineau
Gorgas, William C.William C. Gorgas		physicians and surgeons	1854–1920	1950	Baker, BryantBryant Baker
Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant		soldiers and sailors rulers and statesmen	1822–1885	1900	Fraser, James EarleJames Earle Fraser & Thomas Hudson Jones
Gray, AsaAsa Gray		scientists	1810–1888	1900	Beach, ChesterChester Beach
Hamilton, AlexanderAlexander Hamilton		politicians and statesmen	1755 or 1757–1804	1915	Ceracchi, GiuseppeGiuseppe Ceracchi
Hawthorne, NathanielNathaniel Hawthorne		authors and editors	1804–1864	1900	French, Daniel ChesterDaniel Chester French
Henry, JosephJoseph Henry		scientists	1797–1878	1915	Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan
Henry, PatrickPatrick Henry		politicians and statesmen	1736–1799	1920	Keck, CharlesCharles Keck
Holmes Sr., Oliver WendellOliver Wendell Holmes Sr.		lawyers and judges	1809–1894	1910	Quinn, Edmond ThomasEdmond Thomas Quinn
Holmes Jr., Oliver WendellOliver Wendell Holmes Jr.		lawyers and judges	1841–1935	1965	Kiselewski, JosephJoseph Kiselewski
Hopkins, MarkMark Hopkins		teachers	1802–1887	1915	Hoerbst, HansHans Hoerbst
Howe, EliasElias Howe		inventors	1819–1867	1915	Keck, CharlesCharles Keck
Irving, WashingtonWashington Irving		authors and editors	1783–1859	1900	McCartan, EdwardEdward McCartan
Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson		politicians and statesmen	1767–1845	1910	Kinney, BelleBelle Kinney
Jackson, Thomas J. "Stonewall"Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson		soldiers and sailors	1824–1863	1955	Baker, BryantBryant Baker	ordered removed 2017
Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson		politicians and statesmen	1743–1826	1900	Aitken, Robert IngersollRobert Ingersoll Aitken
Jones, John PaulJohn Paul Jones		soldiers and sailors	1747–1792	1925	Grafly, CharlesCharles Grafly
Kent, JamesJames Kent		lawyers and judges	1763–1847	1900	Quinn, Edmond ThomasEdmond Thomas Quinn
Lanier, SidneySidney Lanier		authors and editors	1842–1881	1945	Schuler, HansHans Schuler
Lee, Robert E.Robert E. Lee		soldiers and sailors	1807–1870	1900	Brewster, George T.George T. Brewster	ordered removed 2017
Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln		politicians and statesmen	1809–1865	1900	Saint-Gaudens, AugustusAugustus Saint-Gaudens
Longfellow, Henry WadsworthHenry Wadsworth Longfellow		authors and editors	1807–1882	1900	Evans, RudulphRudulph Evans
Lowell, James RussellJames Russell Lowell		authors and editors	1819–1891	1905	Clark, AllanAllan Clark
Lyon, MaryMary Lyon		teachers	1797–1849	1905	Fraser, Laura GardinLaura Gardin Fraser	first female inductees
Macdowell, Edward A.Edward A. Macdowell		musicians, painters and sculptors	1860–1908	1960	Jennewein, C. PaulC. Paul Jennewein
Madison, JamesJames Madison		politicians and statesmen	1751–1836	1905	Keck, CharlesCharles Keck
Mann, HoraceHorace Mann		teachers	1796–1859	1900	Weinman, Adolph AlexanderAdolph Alexander Weinman
Marshall, JohnJohn Marshall		lawyers and judges	1755–1835	1900	Adams, HerbertHerbert Adams
Maury, Matthew FontaineMatthew Fontaine Maury		scientists	1806–1873	1930	Sievers, Frederick WilliamFrederick William Sievers
Michelson, Albert A.Albert A. Michelson		scientists	1852–1931	1970	Chandler, Elisabeth GordonElisabeth Gordon Chandler
Mitchell, MariaMaria Mitchell		scientists	1818–1889	1905	Brigham, Emma F.Emma F. Brigham	first female inductees
Monroe, JamesJames Monroe		politicians and statesmen	1758–1831	1930	MacNeil, HermonHermon MacNeil
Morse, SamuelSamuel Morse		inventors	1791–1872	1900	Beach, ChesterChester Beach
Morton, William ThomasWilliam Thomas Morton		physicians and surgeons	1819–1868	1920	Mears, Helen FarnsworthHelen Farnsworth Mears
Motley, John LothropJohn Lothrop Motley		authors and editors	1814–1877	1910	MacMonnies, FrederickFrederick MacMonnies
Newcomb, SimonSimon Newcomb		scientists	1835–1909	1935	MacMonnies, FrederickFrederick MacMonnies
Paine, ThomasThomas Paine		authors and editors	1737–1809	1945	Hoffman, MalvinaMalvina Hoffman
Palmer, Alice FreemanAlice Freeman Palmer		teachers	1855–1902	1920	Longman, Evelyn BeatriceEvelyn Beatrice Longman
Parkman, FrancisFrancis Parkman		authors and editors	1823–1893	1915	MacNeil, HermonHermon MacNeil
Peabody, GeorgeGeorge Peabody		philanthropists and reformers	1795–1869	1900	Schuler, HansHans Schuler
Penn, WilliamWilliam Penn		politicians and statesmen	1644–1718	1935	Calder, A. StirlingA. Stirling Calder
Poe, Edgar AllanEdgar Allan Poe		authors and editors	1809–1849	1910	French, Daniel ChesterDaniel Chester French
Reed, WalterWalter Reed		physicians and surgeons	1851–1902	1945	Howard, CecilCecil Howard
Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt		politicians and statesmen	1882–1945	1973	Davidson, JoJo Davidson
Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt		politicians and statesmen	1858–1919	1950	Lober, Georg J.Georg J. Lober
Saint-Gaudens, AugustusAugustus Saint-Gaudens		musicians, painters and sculptors	1848–1907	1920	Fraser, James EarleJames Earle Fraser
Sherman, William TecumsehWilliam Tecumseh Sherman		soldiers and sailors	1820–1891	1905	Saint-Gaudens, AugustusAugustus Saint-Gaudens
Sousa, John PhilipJohn Philip Sousa		musicians, painters and sculptors	1854–1932	1973	Gruppe, Karl H.Karl H. Gruppe
Story, JosephJoseph Story		lawyers and judges	1779–1845	1900	Adams, HerbertHerbert Adams
Stowe, Harriet BeecherHarriet Beecher Stowe		authors and editors	1811–1896	1910	Putnam, BrendaBrenda Putnam
Stuart, GilbertGilbert Stuart		musicians, painters and sculptors	1755–1828	1900	Fraser, Laura GardinLaura Gardin Fraser
Thayer, SylvanusSylvanus Thayer		soldiers and sailors	1785–1872	1965	Kiselewski, JosephJoseph Kiselewski
Thoreau, Henry DavidHenry David Thoreau		authors and editors	1817–1862	1960	Hoffman, MalvinaMalvina Hoffman
Wald, LillianLillian Wald		nurse and author	1867–1940	1970	Platt, EleanorEleanor Platt
Washington, Booker T.Booker T. Washington		teachers	1856–1915	1945	Barthé, RichmondRichmond Barthé
Washington, GeorgeGeorge Washington		politicians and statesmen	1732–1799	1900	Houdon, Jean-AntoineJean-Antoine Houdon	only unanimous inductee
Webster, DanielDaniel Webster		politicians and statesmen	1782–1852	1900	Aitken, Robert IngersollRobert Ingersoll Aitken
Westinghouse, GeorgeGeorge Westinghouse		inventors	1846–1914	1955	Quattrocchio, EdmondoEdmondo Quattrocchio
Whistler, James Abbott McNeillJames Abbott McNeill Whistler		musicians, painters and sculptors	1834–1903	1930	MacMonnies, FrederickFrederick MacMonnies
Whitman, WaltWalt Whitman		authors and editors	1819–1892	1930	Beach, ChesterChester Beach
Whitney, EliEli Whitney		inventors	1765–1825	1900	Beach, ChesterChester Beach
Whittier, John GreenleafJohn Greenleaf Whittier		authors and editors	1807–1892	1905	Evans, RudulphRudulph Evans
Williams, RogerRoger Williams		clergymen and theologians	1603–1683	1920	MacNeil, HermonHermon MacNeil
Willard, EmmaEmma Willard		teachers	1787–1870	1905	Grimes, FrancesFrances Grimes	first female inductees
Willard, FrancesFrances Willard		teachers	1839–1898	1910	Taft, LoradoLorado Taft
Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson		politicians and statesmen	1856–1924	1950	Hancock, Walker KirtlandWalker Kirtland Hancock
Wright, OrvilleOrville Wright		inventors	1871–1948	1965	Fjelde, PaulPaul Fjelde
Wright, WilburWilbur Wright		inventors	1867–1912	1955	Glinsky, VincentVincent Glinsky

South entrance

Nominees not elected

In addition to Constance Woolson and Jefferson Davis the following people were among those nominated at least once but not elected:

Samuel Adams, Louisa May Alcott, Johnny Appleseed, Chester A. Arthur, Sarah Franklin Bache, Henry Barnard, William Beaumont, John Shaw Billings, George Caleb Bingham, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elena Petrovna Blavatsky, Borden Parker Bowne, William Brewster, William Austin Burt, Horace Bushnell, John C. Calhoun, Alice Cary, Frederick Edwin Church, George Rogers Clark, George M. Cohan, Calvin Coolidge, John Singleton Copley, Dorothea Dix, Paul Dunbar, Amelia Earhart, Wyatt Earp, John Eliot, Henry Ford, James A. Garfield, William Lloyd Garrison, Lou Gehrig, Henry George, Horace Greeley, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, Warren G. Harding, Benjamin Harrison, William Henry Harrison, Charles Evans Hughes, Richard M. Hoe, John Ireland, Helen Hunt Jackson, William James, John Jay, Andrew Johnson, Al Jolson, Chief Joseph, Adoniram Judson, Francis Scott Key, Joyce Kilmer, Fiorello La Guardia, Karl Landsteiner, Gilbert N. Lewis, Crawford Long, Huey Long, Cyrus McCormick, Robert McCormick, Ephraim McDowell, Charles Follen McKim, William McKinley, Ottmar Mergenthaler, S. Weir Mitchell, Lucretia Mott, Benjamin Peirce, Wendell Phillips, Hiram Powers, Will Rogers, Babe Ruth, Sacagawea, Jacob Schiff, Elizabeth Seton, Lydia Huntley Sigourney, Matthew Simpson, John Stevens, Robert L. Stevens, Nikola Tesla, Roger B. Taney, Benjamin Thompson, Judah Touro, Paul M. Warburg, Martha Washington, Mary Ball Washington, Francis Wayland, Noah Webster, William Henry Welch, Henry Wheaton, and Theodore Dwight Woolsey.

Removals

Busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were ordered removed from the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in August 2017 by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

See also

In Spanish: Salón de la Fama para Americanos Ilustres para niños