St. Louis Walk of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame logo
Location	St. Louis, Missouri and University City, Missouri
Country	United States
Reward	Brass star and bronze plaque embedded into the sidewalk along Delmar Boulevard
First awarded	1989

Chuck Berry's star in the St. Louis Walk of Fame

The St. Louis Walk of Fame celebrates famous people from St. Louis, Missouri. These are people who have done amazing things for American culture. Everyone honored either grew up in the St. Louis area or lived there when they were doing their most important work. They can be famous for anything! Most people honored are known for acting, music, sports, art, writing, science, or being on TV or radio.

As of 2019, the Walk of Fame has over 150 special brass stars and bronze plaques. Each one has the person's name and a short summary of their achievements. You can find these stars and plaques on the sidewalks along about two-thirds of a mile of Delmar Boulevard. This area is called the Delmar Loop, and it crosses between St. Louis and University City.

History of the Walk of Fame

The St. Louis Walk of Fame was started by a man named Joe Edwards. He owns the Blueberry Hill restaurant and other businesses in the Delmar Loop. The very first stars and plaques were put in place in 1989.

First Stars and Famous Names

The first group of people honored in 1989 included some very famous names. They were musician Chuck Berry, dancer Katherine Dunham, bridge builder James B. Eads, poet T. S. Eliot, ragtime composer Scott Joplin, aviator Charles Lindbergh, baseball player Stan Musial, actor Vincent Price, newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, and playwright Tennessee Williams.

For the next four years, ten new people were added each year to help the Walk of Fame grow quickly. But since 1994, usually no more than three people are added in any single year. In May 2008, comedian Cedric the Entertainer received the first star located in the St. Louis city part of the Loop. Joe Edwards has been working to make the Walk of Fame and the Delmar Loop area even bigger and better.

How People Are Chosen

Anyone can suggest someone to be honored on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. You just need to send in their name and explain why they are famous and how they are connected to St. Louis.

The Selection Committee

About 30 to 40 people are chosen as finalists from all the suggestions. Then, these finalists are sent to a special group called the selection committee. This committee has 120 people from St. Louis. They are often leaders from local universities, libraries, art groups, and history societies. They are people who know a lot about St. Louis's culture and history.

The special ceremony where new people are honored used to happen every May. Now, it happens less often. It depends on when the people being honored are available to attend.

Inductees

See also

• List of awards for contributions to culture
• List of halls and walks of fame
• List of people from St. Louis