The United States Olympic Hall of Fame is an honor roll of the top American Olympic athletes.
The Hall of Fame was established by the United States Olympic Committee in 1979; the first members were inducted in 1983. Between 1992 and 2003, the Hall of Fame went dormant, with no induction of new members. In 2004, the honor was revived, and continued in 2005 when the 'Class of 2006' was selected.
The current process for selecting inductees is two-staged. Fifteen finalists are selected by a nominating committee consisting of athletes, members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, historians and USOC representatives. The inductees were then selected based on online voting at www.usolympicteam.com, with a requirement to select five individual athletes, one team, one Paralympian and one coach. When the inductees are announced, a veteran and a "special contributor" are also included.
According to an October 2005 press release, 182 athletes, teams, and special contributors have been inducted as of that date. Another 10 inductees were added in 2006, and 14 more added in the 2008 class.
In the past the Hall of Fame has sought to construct a museum, but construction has not begun due to a lack of sponsorship.
Read more about United States Olympic Hall Of Fame: Inducted As Individuals, Inducted As Teams, Inducted As Coaches, Inducted As Contributors
Famous quotes containing the words united states, united, states, olympic, hall and/or fame:
“The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem.”
—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)
“The United States never lost a war or won a conference.”
—Will Rogers (1879–1935)
“I asked myself, “Is it going to prevent me from getting out of here? Is there a risk of death attached to it? Is it permanently disabling? Is it permanently disfiguring? Lastly, is it excruciating?” If it doesn’t fit one of those five categories, then it isn’t important.”
—Rhonda Cornum, United States Army Major. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, “Perspectives” page (July 13, 1992)
“Like Olympic medals and tennis trophies, all they signified was that the owner had done something of no benefit to anyone more capably than everyone else.”
—Joseph Heller (b. 1923)
“When Western people train the mind, the focus is generally on the left hemisphere of the cortex, which is the portion of the brain that is concerned with words and numbers. We enhance the logical, bounded, linear functions of the mind. In the East, exercises of this sort are for the purpose of getting in tune with the unconscious—to get rid of boundaries, not to create them.”
—Edward T. Hall (b. 1914)
“Fair nymph, if fame or honour were
To be attained with ease,
Then would I come and rest me there,”
—Samuel Daniel (1562–1619)