MISSION
The New Jersey Hall of Fame has been created to honor citizens who have made invaluable contributions to society and the world beyond. The Hall of Fame reinforces the message to children that they can and should strive for excellence in any endeavor of their choosing. By presenting significant and powerful role models and teaching young people about the voting process, the Hall of Fame is a source of learning, inspiration and hope for children.

LEGISLATION
The New Jersey Hall of Fame was statutorily authorized through Public Law 2005, Chapter 232. This bi-partisan legislation was passed unanimously in the Senate on May 15, 2005, in the Assembly on June 30, 2005, and signed into law on September 22, 2005. Governor Jon S. Corzine and all former governors of the state have expressed their support for the creation of this museum.

OVERSIGHT
The Hall of Fame is a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, overseen by a Board of Commissioners and a Foundation Board of Trustees.

MUSEUM
State-of-the-art interactive, educational satellite museums are being planned in the northern, central and southern parts of the state in order to immortalize our legends and teach people about our great history. These museum sites will be educational destinations for families and school trips. In addition, plans are underway to create a mobile museum in order to take the Hall of Fame to school districts in all parts of New Jersey.

WEBSITE
The New Jersey Hall of Fame website (www.NJHallofFame.org) receives hundreds of thousands of visitors and has links from more than 100 quality websites.

SUCCESSFUL MODELS
The New Jersey Hall of Fame is one of a small, but growing number of state Halls of Fame. The South Carolina and South Dakota Halls of Fame are two examples that have succeeded exceedingly well for more than 30 years. California has launched its own Hall of Fame, which resides in their state museum.

VOTING
The Hall of Fame’s Voting Academy is comprised of more than 100 of New Jersey’s most prominent individuals, organizations, ethnic groups and media outlets who vote on a list of nominees compiled by a distinguished panel of experts in five categories: Sports, Arts & Entertainment, Historical, General, and Enterprise. The public then casts their votes both over the Internet and via traditional ballot form. Thanks to a formal lesson plan developed by a team lead by the NJEA, teachers and schools across the state use the voting as an opportunity for instruction at all levels – from elementary to high school – to teach students about the importance and the process of voting.

INDUCTION CEREMONY
The first class of fifteen inductees was celebrated at a major red carpet ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the state’s premiere performing arts center, on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Every major media outlet provided coverage, including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, the Star-Ledger, the New York Times, etc.

SUPPORT
The Hall of Fame has received strong financial support from several sources, including J.H. Cohn LLP, sanofi-aventis, NJEA, the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, the New Jersey Cable Association, Johnson & Johnson, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, JCP&L, PNC Bank and many generous individuals. In addition, in-kind support has been received from the Star-Ledger, Clear Channel, Comcast, Cablevision, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, the New Jersey Highway Authority, New Jersey Monthly and many of our Academy members. Gem Limousine is the official limousine of the Hall of Fame; the Hilton Short Hills is the official hotel; and Continental Airlines is the official airline.