Michigan Walk of Fame facts for kids
The Michigan Walk of Fame, styled on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, honors Michigan residents, past or present, who have made significant contributions to the state or nation.
Located along central Lansing's Washington Square, it aimed to be the first comprehensive Walk of Fame in the nation to honor the contributions of its residents on a statewide basis. Nominations were accepted from people around the state and nation.
The first group of Michigan Walk of Fame's inductees were honored on May 25, 2006 during Michigan Week. The 2006 inductees were announced on March 14 Stevie Wonder, Helen Thomas, Jeff Daniels, Dick Ford (Gerald Ford's brother), and many others attended the May 25 event to be formally inducted. The intent was for twelve to be added annually.
The second group of inductees was announced in fall 2007. The Walk of Fame was discontinued after 2007.
2006 Inductees
- Actor Jeff Daniels
- Herbert Henry Dow, founder of Dow Chemical
- Inventor Thomas Edison
- President Gerald R. Ford
- Automotive pioneer Henry Ford
- Emma Genevieve Gillette, the "mother" of the Michigan State Parks system
- Sportscaster Ernie Harwell
- W.K. Kellogg, founder of Kellogg's
- Civil rights activist Rosa Parks
- Fannie Richards, A pioneer African-American public school teacher in Detroit and the City's first kindergarten teacher.
- Political Journalist Helen Thomas
- Musician & Composer Stevie Wonder
2007 Inductees
- Boxer, Joe Louis Barrow
- Educator and linguist, Mack-e-te-be-nessy/Andrew Blackbird
- Automotive pioneer, William C. Durant
- Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe
- Dr. Pearl Kendrick and Dr. Grace Eldering, who created a vaccine for Whooping Cough
- Inventor, Elijah McCoy
- Labor Union Leader, Walter Reuther
- Eero Saarinen, famed architect and designer of the St. Louis Arch
- Jonas Salk, who created the vaccine for polio
- Mary Spencer, Michigan's first state librarian
- Actor and philanthropist, Danny Thomas/Muzyad Yahkoob
