Hall of Fame for Great Americans

Hall of Fame for Great Americans, national shrine, on the campus of Bronx Community College of the City Univ. of New York, Bronx, New York City est. 1900. The Hall of Fame, a 630-ft (192-m) colonnade resting on a corridor above a terrace, was instituted by New York Univ. Chancellor Henry M. MacCracken from a $250,000 donation by philanthropist Helen Gould Shepard. Fifty outstanding Americans, selected by the 100-member College of Electors (with at least one member from each state), were initially honored five people were to be added each fifth year. This plan, however, has not been followed with any efficient regularity. Of the 102 Americans now honored in the Hall of Fame, 98 are represented by bronze busts and commemorative plaques in the colonnade.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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