Conceived by First Lady Maria Shriver, the California Hall of Fame was established at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts to honor individuals and families who embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history. Since 2006, the Museum has hosted an annual ceremony to induct roughly a dozen people per year.
Inducted on December 6, 2006, the inaugural class: Ronald Reagan, César Chávez, Walt Disney, Amelia Earhart, Clint Eastwood, Frank Gehry, David D. Ho, M.D., Billie Jean King, John Muir, Sally K. Ride, Ph.D., Alice Walker and the Hearst and Packard Families were inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
Inducted on December 5, 2007, the 2007 inductees: Ansel Adams, Milton Berle, Steve Jobs, Willie Mays, Robert Mondavi, Rita Moreno, Jackie Robinson, Jonas Salk, M.D., John Steinbeck, Elizabeth Taylor, Earl Warren, John Wayne, and Tiger Woods.
Inducted on December 15, 2008, the 2008 inductees: Dave Brubeck, Jane Fonda, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Robert Graham, Quincy Jones, Jack LaLanne, Dorothea Lange, Julia Morgan, Jack Nicholson, Linus Pauling, Leland Stanford and Alice Waters.
Inducted on December 1, 2009, the 2009 inductees: Carol Burnett, Andy Grove, Hiram Johnson, Rafer Johnson, Henry J. Kaiser, Joan Kroc, George Lucas, John Madden, Harvey Milk, Fritz Scholder, Danielle Steel, Joe Weider and General Chuck Yeager.
On July 7, 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced the 2010 inductees, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, James Cameron, John Doerr, A.P. Giannini, Merle Haggard, Anne Lamott, George Shultz, Dr. Kevin Starr, Levi Strauss, Barbra Streisand, Wayne Thiebaud, Betty White, Serena Williams and Mark Zuckerberg. The induction ceremony was to be held on December 14, 2010 at The California Museum.
On September 9, 2011, the class of 2011 was announced. They included Buzz Aldrin, The Beach Boys, Elizabeth Blackburn, Gregory Boyle, Doris and Donald Fisher, Magic Johnson, Ed Roberts, Carlos Santana, Amy Tan, and Roger Traynor.
The California Hall of Fame exhibit includes a striking display in the museum lobby, as well as a collection of over 100 historic and original items representing the lives and legacies of the inductees, originally located on the second floor. In 2008, the exhibit moved to the first floor galleries, expanding the floor space to over 3,000 square feet (280 m2).
The California Hall of Fame exhibit is on view year-round.
Read more about California Hall Of Fame: Ceremony (2009), Ceremony (2008), Ceremony (2007), Ceremony (2006)
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