Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame facts for kids
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame celebrates amazing athletes and important people from Wisconsin's sports history. It honors their great achievements. The Hall of Fame holds special events every year. These events include a ceremony to welcome new members. Bronze plaques honor the members. You can see these plaques in the Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Famous members include Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi, Oscar Robertson, and Bart Starr.
History of the Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame began in 1951. It was started by the Milwaukee Arena, which is now called the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena. The idea was to "honor outstanding sports figures whose achievements earned them special acclaim." At first, only people who paid to enter the Milwaukee Arena could see the Hall of Fame plaques.
However, for the 50th anniversary in 2001, something special happened. The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation built the Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame. This outdoor area is right outside the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee. Now, the plaques are on permanent public display. This means everyone can see them for free. In 2014, a company called Lammi Sports Management took over the Hall of Fame.
Honoring New Members
Each year, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes new members. These are people who have made a big difference in sports.
Recent Inductees
On October 27, 2015, the Hall of Fame announced two new members. They were Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball coach Bo Ryan and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver. These two were officially welcomed on April 30, 2016. The ceremony took place at the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena. This was the same place where the first induction event happened in 1951.
On April 29, 2017, more great athletes joined the Hall of Fame. These included Wisconsin Badgers Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne. Also inducted were LPGA golf legend Sherri Steinhauer and Green Bay Packers player Charles Woodson. Bud Selig also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honored his efforts to help sports and the community in Wisconsin. Donald Driver, who was inducted in 2016, hosted the event.
On January 24, 2019, three more people joined the Hall of Fame. They were Wisconsin golf supporter Herbert Kohler Jr., Milwaukee Bucks player Marques Johnson, and Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf. Their induction ceremony was held at Discovery World in downtown Milwaukee.
The 70th Anniversary Class was announced on June 5, 2020. Green Bay Packers players Brett Favre and Jordy Nelson were chosen for induction. The ceremony was held in Madison. Barry Alvarez also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was honored for his work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is the winningest coach in the school's history. He also helped the community of Wisconsin.
Hall of Fame Members
There are 143 people in the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. These members come from many different sports. Some of these sports include auto racing, football, basketball, water skiing, bowling, baseball, and bicycling. There are also members from various Olympic sports.
You can find a full list of all the members and pictures of their plaques on the official Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame website: www.wihallofame.com.
Images for kids
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Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Logo
See also
- Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame
- Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
- Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame
