Which inspiring, successful public figures come to mind when thinking of Orange County culture? Whose faces do you think of when considering the most prominent names to hail from the OC? Or the folks who helped shape the county?
If you thought of Olympic diver Greg Louganis or Walt Disney, you’re on the same page as the OC Board of Supervisors.
The supervisors established Orange County’s very own Hall of Fame on Tuesday, Nov. 28, and announced its inaugural class of 10.
“This Hall of Fame signifies a pivotal moment for our community, where we come together to honor those who have shaped Orange County through their remarkable contributions,” Third District Supervisor Don Wagner said. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our residents whose impact resonates within and beyond our county.”
The rest of the inaugural inductees include singer/songwriter Gwen Stefani, the late LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant, seven-time Olympian Amanda Beard, professional golfer Tiger Woods and singer Bill Medley. Outside of the sports and entertainment world, the Hall of Fame inductees include Frank Jao, developer and owner of Asian Garden Mall; William Lyon, an Air Force major general who became a leading housing developer in the county; and Henry Segerstrom, developer, philanthropist and founding chairman of Segerstrom Center of the Arts. (And he developed South Coast Plaza.)
“From the Olympics to the Grammys, Orange County’s residents have achieved excellence at the highest levels,” First District Supervisor Andrew Do said in a release. “We’re proud to commemorate Orange County’s past as we inspire the next generation of residents to achieve remarkable success in business, music, sports and the arts.”
Wagner said many names were thrown out for the Hall of Fame, and dwindling the list down to 10 was a challenge.
“We were trying to figure some folks who might attend. We wanted to figure some folks who we had to have on the list. We didn’t want to be too controversial right off the bat with, say, Richard Nixon or John Wayne,” Wagner said. “We just kind of wanted to wet our toes with this one.”
The Hall of Fame, Wagner said, is a chance to acknowledge the excellence that Orange County has to offer.
“I think Orange County is in the shadow of L.A. They’ve got their big Walk of Fame. It’s the entertainment capital of the world. And then if you just step back and you dig into it a little bit deeper, you find that Orange County can absolutely hold its own, not just with entertainment and sports, but also with business and philanthropy and civic engagement,” Wagner said. “This was an opportunity to be a little bit inspiring, to say thank you to some of the people that have done such great work and to recognize that we are our own distinct place, aside from L.A. or even San Diego.”
And with Orange County’s Latino population ever-growing, Wagner said there will no doubt be a Latino name added to the Hall of Fame in the future.
“There are a couple of possibilities. For example, we had on the Board of Supervisors and he went off to the Peace Corps, an ambassador to NATO, Gaddi Vasquez, and his name came up,” Wagner said. “There were some civil rights cases back in the ’40s out of central Orange County dealing in part with the Mexican-American community. There will be, no question, folks who would absolutely fit and would be deserving of some recognition.”
In order to be nominated and inducted into the county’s Hall of Fame, one must have a minimum of 10 years as a resident or business owner in the county, have had one major life experience, or won a big award in Orange County, or be a civic leader. A Hall of Fame Ad Hoc Committee will be created annually by the Board of Supervisors, and will be in charge of choosing that year’s 10 inductees. Supervisors will be able to nominate five individuals or businesses that meet the criteria.
Wagner said his office is open to hearing from members of the public on who they would like to see in OC’s Hall of Fame. He had received a slew of emails asking that Stefani be added this first time around.
“That is why Gwen Stefani made the first cut. She’s got a big fan club. Taylor Swift has nothing on her in Orange County,” Wagner said. “So we would absolutely be willing to hear from people. All five of us are going to be making nominations for the next class next year, so let us know. Give us some ideas.”
The Orange County Hall of Fame will be displayed in the lobby of the county administration offices at 400 W. Civic Center Drive in Santa Ana. An induction and unveiling ceremony will be revealed at a later date, official said.
