Applications Sought for Next Nebraska Hall of Fame Inductee

A bust sculpture of Malcolm X was unveiled at his May 2024 induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The art was designed by Lincoln artist Nathan Murray, who is shown here with Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz (right of the bust) and JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, executive director of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. The bust’s permanent spot is in a hallway of the State Capitol, with other Hall of Fame busts. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

Nebraska Examiner Staff

LINCOLN — State officials have begun the process of choosing the next member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

The commission that makes the selection called Friday for nominations to begin for the next inductee, who would join the hall in 2029.

Sara Crook, who chairs the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, said that the process of choosing a new member for the hall is intended to be “slow and deliberative,” thus the process is starting now.

The Hall of Fame, located in the State Capitol, is designed to “bring to public attention and to recognize officially those people who, in their lives, have achieved prominence and who were outstanding Nebraskans,” according to a release from the Nebraska State Historical Society.

To be inducted, a person must have either been born in Nebraska, gained prominence while living in the state, or have lived in Nebraska, and that was an important influence on their lives and their greatness.

Currently, there are 27 members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame, whose busts are displayed in the Capitol. The last inductee was civil rights leader Malcolm X, whose bust was installed last year.

In 1998, the State Legislature amended the requirements to be inducted, limiting it to one person every five years and requiring that an inductee be deceased for a minimum of 35 years. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 31, 2026.

For more information, or to get an application form, visit the website: https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/. Applications and required references can be returned to the Nebraska State Historical Society,1500 R St., Lincoln, NE 68508.