Why not celebrate greatness? The Hall of Fame for Great Americans stands as a testament to those who shaped the nation. This outdoor sculpture gallery is on the Bronx Community College campus. It was the first hall of fame in the United States.
In 1900, Helen Gould donated funds for the structure. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans was formally dedicated on May 30 1901. Soon after, it became a focal point for U.S. national pride. The hall originally honored only native-born U.S. citizens. The first bust was installed in 1907. Foreign-born citizens were inducted starting in 1915. Most busts were sculpted between 1922 and 1930. The majority of busts dedicated between 1930 and 1970 were installed shortly after their elections.
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans commemorates 102 prominent Americans. They are selected by a board of electors. These individuals are grouped into fifteen categories. The structure features a loggia with colonnades stretching 630 feet. Niches within the colonnades display plaques and 96 bronze portrait busts.
Stanford White designed the Hall of Fame. It was built in 1901 as part of New York University’s campus. The structure cleverly conceals a retaining wall for the Gould Memorial Library. The loggia offers space for 102 bronze busts. It runs west of the Hall of Languages the Gould Memorial Library and the Hall of Philosophy. The section around the Gould Library curves to the west.
The Hall of Fame’s walkway measures over 10 feet wide. It is flanked by parapets that are 4 feet high. Samuel Yellin designed sculpted gates for the northern and southern entrances. Mrs. Charles Beatty Alexander donated the gates. They honor her late husband. The northern gates bear the inscription Enter with Joy that those within have lived. The southern gates say Take counsel here of Beauty Wisdom Power.
Originally the Hall of Fame planned for 150 plaques. Each would measure 2 by 8 feet. Louis Comfort Tiffany designed these plaques. They include names lifespans and quotes for each honoree. The western walls of the Hall of Language and Hall of Philosophy also feature inscriptions.
As of 2017 the hall contains 96 busts. They stand on pedestals above the parapet walls. Beneath each bust is a bronze tablet. It bears the person’s name dates achievements and quotations. Various sculptors created the busts at different times. Authors’ and editors’ busts are at the north end. Inventors’ busts are at the south end.
Adjacent to the Hall of Fame stands a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette. He was a French officer in the American Revolution. Lafayette is the complex’s only non-American citizen. However he received honorary U.S. citizenship.
Originally the Hall of Fame housed the Museum of the Hall of Fame. It contained exhibits and portraits of honorees. NYU later used some museum space as classrooms. The museum had six rooms and a corridor including the Washington Gallery.
Dr. Henry Mitchell MacCracken proposed the Hall of Fame in the late 1890s. It would conceal a retaining wall for the Gould Memorial Library. MacCracken drew inspiration from the Ruhmeshalle in Munich Germany. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans was the first of its kind in the United States.
The Hall of Fame became part of Bronx Community College in 1973. NYU sold its Bronx campus to the City University of New York. The last honorees were elected in 1976. Since then the Hall of Fame has largely faded into obscurity. Busts started to decay over the years. The college renovated the Hall of Fame several times. In 2017 it removed the busts of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Today the Hall of Fame stands as a reminder of changing ideas about greatness. Its architecture and busts represent a unique chapter in American history. Take a moment to reflect on the lives and legacies celebrated here. Consider what it truly means to be a great American.