| St. Louis Walk of Fame | |
|---|---|
 St. Louis Walk of Fame logo | |
| Sponsored by | Established byJoe Edwards |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri andUniversity City, Missouri |
| Country | United States |
| Rewards | Brass star and bronze plaque embedded into the sidewalk along Delmar Boulevard |
| First award | 1989 |
| Website | stlouiswalkoffame.org |
TheSt. Louis Walk of Fame honorsnotable people from St. Louis,Missouri, who made contributions to theculture of the United States. All inductees were either born in theGreater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there.[1] Contribution can be in any area; most of the current inductees made their achievements in acting, entertainment, music, sports, art/architecture, broadcasting, journalism, science/education and literature.[2] According to local tourism officials, the Walk of Fame attracts thousands of visitors to the Delmar Loop each year and serves as a popular cultural landmark for both residents and tourists.[3]
As of April 2019[update], the walk has more than 150 brass stars and bronze plaques, each bearing an inscription of an inductee's name and a summary of their accomplishments. The stars and plaques are set into the sidewalks along a2⁄3-mile (1 km) stretch ofDelmar Boulevard in theDelmar Loop area, spanning the border between St. Louis andUniversity City.[4]
The walk was founded by developerJoe Edwards, owner ofBlueberry Hill pub/restaurant and other establishments located along the walk. Its first stars and plaques were installed in 1989; the inductees that year were musicianChuck Berry, dancer and choreographerKatherine Dunham, bridge builderJames B. Eads, poetT. S. Eliot, ragtime composerScott Joplin, aviatorCharles Lindbergh, baseball playerStan Musial, actorVincent Price, newspaper publisherJoseph Pulitzer and playwrightTennessee Williams.[5] Ten more were selected for each of the next four years (in order to get the walk established), but starting in 1994 no more than three have been awarded in any year.[6]
Cedric the Entertainer received the first star and plaque located in the City of St. Louis part of the loop, in May of 2008.[7] The walk, and the boundaries of the Delmar Loop in general, have been expanded eastward by Edwards in recent years, as Edwards continues to invest in the area's redevelopment.[6]
Anyone can submit a nomination by mail by supplying basic identification information as well as a description of the nominee's accomplishments and connection to St. Louis.[1][6] About 30 to 40 finalists are culled from the nominees by the walk's founder and director; the finalists are sent to a selection committee of 120 St. Louisans. The selection committee has been variously described as:
or
Prior to 2007, the open-air induction ceremony was held regularly on the third week of May; since then, it is held on a less regular basis, subject to the availability of those being inducted.[6]
Some of the walk's inductees, includingDick Gregory,Jackie Joyner-Kersee, andOzzie Smith, are also in the nearby, unrelated Gateway Classic Hall of Fame.[8][9][10]
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