Records of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans
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Abstract
New York University established the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1900 as a part of the library structure at their former University Heights campus. As the first ever hall of fame in the United States, it was created to honor great men and women who have had a significant impact on the nation's history. Spanning the period 1901-1985, the Records of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans documents the history of the hall of fame, from its founding through the sale of the University Heights campus to the City University of New York in 1973. The collection includes programs from many, but not all, of the bust unveiling ceremonies as well as general correspondence, administrative files, newspaper clippings, and a selection of published books.
Historical Note
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is an outdoor sculpture gallery located on the grounds of the Bronx Community College and originally constructed in 1900 as a part of the University Heights campus of New York University. NYU purchased the University Heights campus in 1894, but due to financial crises in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then President of NYU, James McNaughton Hester, negotiated the sale of the University Heights campus to the City University of New York in 1973. Inspired by the Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame) located in Munich, Germany, the Hall of Fame for Great Americans was the first hall of fame to be established in the United States and was created to honor great men and women who have had a significant impact on the nation's history. In The Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University, Theodore Morello writes, "The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is a symbol of our national greatness as exemplified by its noted men and women, whose dedicated lives reflect the highest ideals of American culture in the arts, sciences, scholarship, and government."
American philanthropist Helen Miller Gould Shepard donated both the library building and the Hall of Fame structure. Designed by architect Stanford White (who also designed the library), the structure was formally dedicated on May 30, 1901. The structure is a half-circle stone colonnade positioned around the university library and houses 98 bronze portrait busts, each designed by distinguished American sculptors.
To be eligible for nomination into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, a person had to have been a native-born or naturalized citizen of the United States, deceased 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.
Henry Mitchell MacCracken, Chancellor of NYU from 1891-1910 and originator of the Hall of Fame, established a board of electors that undertook the responsibility of nominating and ultimately selecting individuals for enshrinement. This board of electors was comprised of men and women who had achieved a degree of renown, including some of the most well-known and respected writers, historians, and educators of their day as well as members of Congress, Justices of the Supreme Court, and Presidents of the United States. Nominees were elected by a simple majority vote, except from 1925 through 1940, when a 3/5 majority was required, and in 1976 when a point system replaced the majority vote.
Following the sale of the University Heights campus to CUNY, the Hall of Fame for Great Americans lost funding and support. The Hall of Fame does remains active and open to the public for self-guided tours daily between the hours of 10:00am and 5:00pm and guided tours by appointment only.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 3 series; materials in Series I are arranged chronologically:
Series I: General Files, 1901-1985
Series II: Publications, 1901-1967
Series III: Audiovisual materials, 1946
Scope and Contents
The materials in this collection are related to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans and date from its establishment in 1900 through 1985. The bulk of the materials in this collection are programs from many, but not all, of the bust unveiling ceremonies since the inception of the Hall of Fame. In addition to the programs, the collection contains general correspondence, administrative files, newspaper clippings, and published books. Some material relates to New York University's decision to sell the University Heights campus, including correspondence between then-president of New York University, John Sawhill, and the trustees, president, and director of the Hall of Fame.
In addition to the documents described in this finding aid, the collection also contains commemorative medallions commissioned by the administrators of the Hall of Fame. There are two sizes of medallions: 1 and 3/4 inches and 3 inches. Some of the medallions are silver, but the majority are bronze. Box 3, Folder 7, contains a list titled "The Hall of Fame Medal Series" that is particularly useful when looking at the medals. The list provides the name and class of all of the individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame, the sculptor who created each medal, and a description of each medal's theme.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the creator are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives, 212-998-2646, university-archives@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Records of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans; RG 42.2; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred by Tom Romich, University Relations, in 1995. The accession number related to this collection is 95.018.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact university-archives@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2018 are unknown. In 2019 materials were rehoused by Preservation and transferred to offsite storage.