2 months ago
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California First Lady Maria Shriver honored 13 Californians at a ceremony Tuesday night in Sacramento. Among those to be inducted into the California Hall of Fame were slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person elected to a major public office in the U.S. Other inductees included romance novelist and San Francisco resident Danielle Steel; longtime Oakland Raiders coach and sports broadcaster John Madden, and filmmaker George Lucas, whose company Industrial Light and Magic is headquartered in San Francisco's Presidio. According to The California Museum, the Hall of Fame honors "legendary people who embody California's innovative spirit and have made their mark on history." It was established by Shriver in 2006. Henry J. Kaiser was also inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame. Most Californians associate Kaiser's name with the behemoth Kaiser Permanente health care system. However, he amassed a fortune as an industrialist, operating four shipyards in Richmond during World War II and playing a major role in constructing the Bay Bridge, according to his official California Museum biography. Join local moms who are talking about this story on momslikeme. Another inductee, Hiram Johnson, served as California governor between 1911 and 1917, but began his public service career in 1908 as a prosecutor in San Francisco. Microchip developer Andy Grove, who earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and taught at Berkeley and Stanford University, was also be honored. Actress Carol Burnett was also in attendance and amazed at all the memoribilia on display in her honor. Rafer Johnson was a "no brainer," pick said Shriver. He founded the Rafer Johnson Children's Center, a school for children with disabilities. The programs serve students from birth through kindergarten who have been identified as having disabilities ranging from mild to severe. He also founded the California Special Olympics in 1969 and remains involved in many capacities including as a coach, as head of the Board of Governors in California and as a member of the International Board of Special Olympics.
