Here’s a news brief from the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph:
The Route 66 Association of Illinois will take nominations for its Hall of Fame from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28.
Nominations must include qualities, deeds and history on Route 66. To qualify, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 from 1926 to 1977.
Submit nominations and materials to The Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame & Museum, Attn: Hall of Fame Committee, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, IL 61764.
It should be noted that nominees don’t necessarily have to be persons. Longtime Route 66 businesses have been nominated and inducted.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the 1926-77 rule is eliminated in a few years. The Hall of Fame typically has inducted three to six people or businesses each year since 1990, and it’s going to start running short of candidates. Also, there are plenty of worthwhile candidates who’ve made an impact on the road after Route 66’s revival in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The list of Hall of Famers through 2006 is here. Here are the 2007 inductees and the 2008 inductees.