Last month, 95-year-old Angel Delgadillo of Seligman, Arizona, was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Paradise Alley.
A number of details emerged from the event, but little about Delgadillo’s induction speech itself.
This week, a video of Delgadillo’s speech emerged on YouTube. According to a Facebook post from Delgadillo’s gift shop in Seligman, his son-in-law Mauricio shot video of the 13-minute speech, which he apparently delivered without notes.
The post stated, in part:
… Angel’s speech is a perfect example of his courage, tenacity, humbleness, humor, inspiration, and his unwavering love and respect for everyone. We were told that the award’s ceremony banquet room had never been so quiet as everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what Angel had so say next.
The Arizona Office of Tourism asked for a copy of the video, and here it is:
In case you missed it earlier, here is the video Arizona Tourism produced before his induction:
Many Route 66 aficionados have attested Arizona Tourism’s honor to Delgadillo was overdue, and it’s difficult to argue with that.
With the arguable exception of “Route 66: The Mother Road” author Michael Wallis, Delgadillo is the most impactful figure of Route 66’s renaissance.
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