The CLEVELAND HALL OF FAME consists of deceased individuals from the Greater Cleveland area who received national or international acclaim. Unveiled at Cleveland's PUBLIC SQUARE on 22 July 1971 as the highlight of the city's 175th birthday, the Hall of Fame was originally conceived by Ruth Ketteringham, a trustee of the EARLY SETTLERS ASSN. OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, which has maintained and expanded the list ever since. Persons selected to the Hall of Fame must be listed in the Dictionary of American Biography and must have died at least 25 years before selection. At the unveiling in 1971, there were 28 names. Black-and-white portraits of the inductees went on permanent display the following year in the new Utilities Bldg. at Lakeside and 12th. In 1981 the permanent exhibit was moved to the back wall of the city hall rotunda, and 7 new names were added. Since that time, new names have been added every 5 years.
Cleveland Hall of Fame Members as of 2022: (asterisk [*] denotes charter inductee)