About
The St. Louis Walk of Fame is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 by local visionary Joe Edwards to provide a showcase for the cultural heritage of St. Louis and to advance the knowledge, awareness and appreciation of great St. Louisans and their accomplishments. Its mission is also to encourage pride in the community and career inspiration in individuals.
The Walk of Fame consists of brass stars and bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalks of the Delmar Loop arts and entertainment district to honor people from the St. Louis area who have made major national contributions to our cultural heritage. Each star features the name of an honoree and the accompanying plaque contains a biography summarizing his or her achievements and connection to the city. These informative plaques distinguish the St. Louis Walk of Fame from similar projects throughout the country and make ours educational as well as entertaining.
The St. Louis Walk of Fame highly values education and donates copies of its book to the libraries of all St. Louis metropolitan area junior high schools and high schools where they are used for school projects, research projects and reading for plain enjoyment. One will frequently see school field trips in The Loop making chalk rubbings of the plaques on paper for their projects.
The Walk provides examples of role models from all walks of life and in all areas of achievement.
Nomination Criteria
Nominees must fulfill two main criteria:
- They must have been born in St. Louis or have spent their creative years here.
- Their accomplishments must have had a NATIONAL impact on our cultural heritage.
Many accomplished St. Louisans qualify for one but not the other condition. Perhaps they did not reside in the St. Louis area long enough to be firmly associated with the city or did not spend formative or creative years here. Perhaps due to the nature of the person’s work, their contributions and achievements did not have a national impact, even though the impact locally was immense.
Nomination Process
There are approximately 250 great St. Louisans from the past and present on the list of nominees. They represent national luminaries from fields such as art, music, architecture, literature, journalism, civil rights, education, science, political activism, sports, acting, entertainment and broadcasting.
Anyone may participate in the nomination process. Simply send a letter to the St. Louis Walk of Fame office with the name, date and place of birth and a short history of the person you wish to nominate. Include the person’s St. Louis connection and a description of his or her NATIONAL impact. Remember:
- The nominee must have been born in St. Louis or have spent their creative years here.
- Their accomplishments must have had a NATIONAL impact on our cultural heritage.
Nominations Committee
St. Louis Walk of Fame
6504 Delmar in The Loop
St. Louis, MO 63130
Selection Process
120 St. Louisans are on the Walk of Fame selection committee. The committee includes the chancellors of all area universities; key people from local libraries, arts organizations and historical societies; media journalists; and other citizens of all races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds with an informed understanding of St. Louis’ cultural heritage.
Ballots are mailed to selection committee members in the summer of each year and the new inductees are announced the following spring.
The Induction Ceremonies
The St. Louis Walk of Fame’s induction ceremonies are lively, entertaining and frequently moving. A live band plays ragtime and Dixieland jazz, setting the celebratory mood. Presenters and accepting inductees delight the crowd with their words which have been spoken in all sorts of styles. Comedian Phyllis Diller and baseball great Yogi Berra each had the audience doubled over in laughter. TV Producer Andy Cohen drew a huge crowd. Actress Jenifer Lewis sat next to her star in a memorable photo opportunity. Hip-Hop star Nelly brought a dazzling excitement to the street. Olympic athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee and author and professor Gerald Early gave profound, stirring speeches. Jazz musician Clark Terry pulled out his fluegelhorn and began playing.
Inductees have said that being inducted into their hometown’s Walk of Fame is a particularly special honor to receive in their careers. St. Louis’ culture and history are celebrated and everyone is invited.
Getting Here
The St. Louis Walk of Fame is located conveniently in the Delmar Loop which is full of shops, restaurants, music, and experiences. The Delmar Loop is on a MetroLink stop as well as close to Highway 64 and has many parking lots. See all the details for your visit:
The Book
This gorgeous coffee table book highlights over 250 years of great St. Louisans and includes inductee bios, photos, background information about the nomination and selection process, and photos from the induction ceremonies.
Community Support
The St. Louis Walk of Fame is possible due to the generous support of local businesses, organizations, and individuals. They can’t be thanked enough!