Visit the Carlsbad Museum, Carlsbad Hall of Fame today
One of Carlsbad’s best treasures is the Carlsbad Museum. There, you can find a world-class exhibit on the Bataan Death March, the McAdoo Collection of “Taos Ten” paintings, an excellent rotation of temporary exhibits and artwork from across the Southwest. The Museum has undergone some major changes recently- including a logo rebrand and a restructuring. There’s a lot on the horizon as well, including fall art academies and a display featuring the works of talented western artist Gary Niblett. who earned his membership in the Cowboy Artists of America in 1975.
One of the most popular features of the Carlsbad Museum is the Hall of Fame. Originally proposed by Bill Brooks, this exhibit features an incredible list of some of Carlsbad’s most outstanding citizens. We are also pleased to announce that we’re in the process of adding more inductees into the Carlsbad Hall of Fame. More details later.
Three of our first hall of fame inductees were teacher and historian Jed Howard, racecar driver Dicky Herrell and Sgt. Alejandro Ruiz, who we recently named our senior center after. It was fitting that our very first hall of fame inductee was Mr. Howard, who served as Carlsbad’s historian for so many years.
Our most recent inductees were Shakespeare expert John Andrews and author Anna Jane Sitton Hayes. The two outstanding citizens are close friends, so it was wonderful to induct them together.
Sports inductees include baseball legend Shane Andrews, football great Sam “The Rifle” Etcheverry and coaching legend Ralph Bowyer. Football legend John Wooten’s induction into Carlsbad’s Hall of Fame was a very well received event. Of course, we have basketball and softball star Becky Thompson.
Pioneer Charles Eddy is in the Hall of Fame, as are important historical figures such as Cruz Fernandez and Ray Anaya. Individuals important to our educational process, including teacher Porky Leyva and administrator Dr. Emmitt Smith, are also included. We’re proud that our hall of fame includes so many teachers and educators.
We also have a display case for actor Bruce Cabot, who starred in the 1933 film King Kong, along with many John Wayne movies, as well as artist Roderick Fletcher Mead. Mead’s works are also on display across the museum. Bob and Barbara Forrest were inducted into the hall of fame for their numerous accomplishments. Carlsbad native Drew Gaffney was selected for his accomplishments as an astronaut and scientist. One of our most beloved inductees is Lynne Pitcaithley, who was famous for being an actress and an animal rights supporter. Ira Stockwell headed every City of Carlsbad Department, with the exception of the police force.
Frank Kindel was a legendary promoter. Fred Mahaffey was a four-star general. We’re honored to have a statue of the general at the Cascades. Jim White’s discovery of Carlsbad Caverns led to what would become Carlsbad Caverns National Park, while Linda Wertheimer is a famous radio broadcaster. Last, but certainly not least, is songwriter Sonny Throckmorton, who was recently lauded at the ACM Honors, which will air Tuesday night on Fox.
Carlsbad’s Hall of Fame is truly a cause for celebration, and we hope you’ll check it out.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Visit the Carlsbad Museum, Carlsbad Hall of Fame today
