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Wheeling Hall of Fame
Origins
When the Wheeling Civic Center (now known as WesBanco Arena) was being built in 1977, the founders decided to include a “Wheeling Hall of Fame” to honor past and present residents “who had attained considerable distinction in some specific field and thus brought honor to their home city.” City Council created a Hall of Fame Board tasked with nominating and inducting new members in six categories: Music and Fine Arts; Sports and Athletics; Business, Industry and Professions; Public Service; Education and Religion; and Philanthropy. To qualify, a person has to have lived in Wheeling for at least 15 years. The inaugural, 1980 class featured 18 inductees. Numerous others have been added in the years since, and many qualified candidates have yet to be inducted. Honoring Wheeling’s finest is an ongoing process.
And in case you are wondering why Wheeling legends like Betty Zane and Samuel McCulloch are not enshrined, the preamble from the Ordinance establishing the Hall of Fame provides the answer: “While outstanding public services were rendered by our founding fathers and early citizens, these worthy deeds are recognized by historical publications and appropriately honored in other halls, museums, and memorials. Therefore, honorees in the Wheeling Hall of Fame shall be selected on the basis of accomplishments after 1863 [later amended to 1836].”
➤ 2019 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
➤ 2017 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
➤ 2015 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
➤ 2013 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
➤ 2011 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
➤ 2008 Wheeling Hall of Fame Program
The Wheeling Hall of Fame
| Dominic Agostino: | ▶ founder of Aladdin Food Management |
| Phyllis Beneke: | ▶ philanthropist and educator |
| Leon "Chu" Berry: | ▶ tenor sax giant |
| Bob Biery: | ▶ golf pro and course designer |
| Samuel S. Bloch: | ▶ founder of Bloch Brothers Tobacco Co. |
| Stuart F. Bloch: | ▶ golf executive |
| Levering C. Bonar: | ▶ educator |
| Everett Brinkman: | ▶ Wheeling High coach |
| Alonso B. Brooks: | ▶ naturalist |
| Jesse Burkett: | ▶ baseball great |
| William Burrus: | ▶ labor leader |
| Eleanor Glass Caldwell: | ▶ founder of the Wheeling Symphony |
| Archibald W. Campbell: | ▶ newspaper editor |
| Clyde D. Campbell: | ▶ scientist, educator, and community booster |
| Sally Carroll: | ▶ golfer |
| Stefano R. Ceo: | ▶ music educator |
| Allan Connolly: | ▶ educator |
| John Corbett: | ▶ actor |
| Billy Cox: | ▶ bass guitarist |
| Annie Sinclair Cunningham: | ▶ Elmhurst founder |
| Rebecca Harding Davis: | ▶ author |
| Leland S. Devore: | ▶ All-American football player |
| Ellis Dungan: | ▶ filmmaker |
| John Edward “Jack” Fahey: | ▶ political leader |
| Sue Seibert Farnsworth: | ▶ lawyer and education advocate |
| Mary Louise Snider Efron: | ▶ health researcher |
| Ethel Clare Elikan: | ▶ founder, Seeing Hand Association Inc. of Wheeling |
| Frederick Faris: | ▶ architect |
| Mary Elizabeth Fassig (Keyser): | ▶ dance icon |
| James Foti: | ▶ basketball coach |
| Gene Freese: | ▶ baseball player |
| Harriette Shull "Hydie" Friend: | ▶ historic preservation leader |
| Rosemary Front: | ▶ community activist |
| Dr. William S. Fulton: | ▶ founder of Wheeling Clinic |
| Rose Gacioch: | ▶ women's baseball great |
| Helen B. Gaither: | ▶ philanthropist |
| Alexander Glass: | ▶ founder of Wheeling Corrugating Co. and Wheeling Steel |
| John Wesley Glasscock: | ▶ baseball player |
| Sister Joanne Gonter: | ▶ educator and religious leader |
| Russell B. Goodwin: | ▶ high school and college football star |
| J. William Grimes: | ▶ sports media executive |
| Harry C. Hamm: | ▶ newspaperman |
| John B. “Jay” Handlan: | ▶ college basketball star |
| Marc Harshman: | ▶ poet and author |
| Robert C. Hazlett: | ▶ Wheeling banker |
| Judith Herndon: | ▶ legislator |
| Most Rev. Joseph H. Hodges: | ▶ Catholic bishop |
| Susan Cox Hogan: | ▶ community activist |
| Harry C. Holbert: | ▶ artist and educator |
| Budd Hopkins: | ▶ artist and author |
| Chuck Howley: | ▶ football player |
| Chester R. Hubbard: | ▶ attorney and legislator |
| Dr. Simon P. Hullihen: | ▶ pioneer oral surgeon |
| Charles L. Ihlenfeld: | ▶ Wheeling mayor |
| Wilbur S. Jones: | ▶ executive |
| James Howard Kindleberger: | ▶ aeronautical engineer |
| Dr. Forrest H. Kirkpatrick: | ▶ educator and business executive |
| Ralph R. Kitchen: | ▶ master contractor |
| Elizabeth Stifel Kline: | ▶ philanthropist |
| George J. Kossuth: | ▶ photographer |
| George A. Laughlin: | ▶ philanthropist, newspaperman, businessman |
| Everett Lee: | ▶ Ground-breaking African American conductor |
| Clifford Lewis: | ▶ priest, educator, and historian |
| Noah Linsly: | ▶ founder of Linsly Institute |
| Howard W. Long: | ▶ founder of Coronet Foods |
| George W. Lutz: | ▶ philanthropist |
| Dennis Magruder: | ▶ entertainment venue manager |
| Keith Maillard: | ▶ novelist |
| Mifflin M. Marsh: | ▶ cigar manufacturer |
| Irene Doretta Meagel: | ▶ philanthropist |
| Bernie Mehen: | ▶ Wheeling High Basketball great |
| Dr. Donald Mercer: | ▶ physician |
| J. Loran Mercer: | ▶ band director |
| Thomas B. Miller: | ▶ West Virginia Supreme Court Justice |
| Harry C. Northwood: | ▶ glass manufacturer |
| G. Ogden Nutting: | ▶ newspaper publisher |
| Tim O'Brien: | ▶ bluegrass musician |
| H. C. Ogden: | ▶ newspaper publisher and industrialist |
| Earl W. Oglebay: | ▶ leader of iron industry and philanthropist |
| Harold G. “Hal” O’Leary: | ▶ community theatre leader |
| John Joseph "J. J." Owens: | ▶ oil painter and surgical illustrator |
| Michael Joseph Owens: | ▶ glass industrialist and inventor |
| B. Walker Peterson: | ▶ businessman and community leader |
| Ronald G. Peyton: | ▶ physical therapist pioneer |
| The Reverend Margaret Bird Caldwell Phillimore: | ▶ church leader |
| Augustus Pollack: | ▶ Businessman (Stogies) |
| Warren Pugh: | ▶ sports official |
| Mary E. “Fritzi” Stifel Quarrier: | ▶ golfer |
| Mary Louise Butler Reed: | ▶ Leader of King's Daughters organization |
| Phillip Nathaniel Reed: | ▶ educator and community leader |
| Dr. James Edmund Reeves: | ▶ community health advocate |
| John Reger: | ▶ football player |
| Walter P. Reuther: | ▶ labor leader |
| Anton Reymann: | ▶ brewer and philanthropist |
| Jule Rivlin: | ▶ basketball player and coach |
| Bob Roe: | ▶ football coach |
| Stanley Romanoski: | ▶ track and cross country coach |
| Dr. Arthur Rybeck: | ▶ dentist, inventor, and organic farmer |
| Otto Schenk: | ▶ businessman and civic leader |
| Most Rev. Bernard W. Schmitt: | ▶ Catholic bishop |
| Margaret McCluskey Schiffler: | ▶ philanthropist, businesswoman |
| Henry Stifel Schrader: | ▶ philanthropist |
| Jacob Schwinn: | ▶ physician and surgeon |
| George H. Seibert, Jr.: | ▶ legislator |
| Harlan J. Smith: | ▶ astronomer |
| Ralph Reed Spears: | ▶ industrialist |
| Ellsworth M. Statler: | ▶ who got his start in hotels in Wheeling |
| Eleanor Steber: | ▶ Opera singer |
| George E. Stifel: | ▶ pioneer industrialist |
| Johann Ludwig Stifel: | ▶ industrialist |
| Wilbur E. Stone: | ▶ president of Stone & Thomas and civic leader |
| Rt. Rev. Robert E. Lee Strider: | ▶ Episcopal bishop of W. Va. |
| Robert E. Lee Strider, II: | ▶ educator |
| Patrick J. Sullivan: | ▶ painter |
| Earl Summers, Jr.: | ▶ musician |
| Andrew J. Sweeney: | ▶ industrialist, mayor |
| Most Rev. John J. Swint, D.D.: | ▶ Catholic bishop |
| Michael J. Valan: | ▶ sports promoter |
| Bill Van Horne: | ▶ sportswriter |
| James Nelson Vance: | ▶ industrialist |
| Wesley J. Wagner: | ▶ artist and educator |
| William E. Weiss: | ▶ founder of Sterling Drug Co. |
| Clara M. Welty: | ▶ philanthropist |
| Gary E. West: | ▶ entrepreneur |
| Richard V. Whelan: | ▶ first bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling |
| James S. White: | ▶ pharmacist, civic leader |
| Doc Williams: | ▶ country musician |
| G. Randolph “Randy” Worls: | ▶ CEO Wheeling Park Commission |
