NJ Hall of Fame to Induct Whitney Houston, Others with Newark Ties

Newark native and Rutgers alum Ray Chambers is among more than a dozen residents who have officially been named to the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Other inductees with Essex County ties include perennial nominee U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who was born in Caldwell and is the only president to be born in the state, comedian Joe Piscopo who was raised in North Caldwell and the late Whitney Houston, who started out singing in her church choir in Newark.

The inductees were announced by Aldrin who was part of the inaugural 2008 class.

The full list of New Jerseyans who will be inducted at a ceremony at the Izod Center planned for Oct. 21 are:

• U.S. President Grover Cleveland
• American revolution activist Thomas Paine
• Filmmaking pioneer Alice Guy Blache
• Sculptor J. Seward Johnson, Jr.
• New Jersey Governor Tom Kean
• Make-up tycoon Bobbi Brown
• Inventor and radio & TV pioneer David Sarnoff
• Philanthropist Ray Chambers
• Vocalists & entertainers Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Celia Cruz
• TV (M*A*S*H*) & film star Alan Alda
• Comedian & film star Joe Piscopo
• Track Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs
• World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jersey Joe Walcott
• Multi-Super Bowl winning football coach Bill Parcells.

Aldrin also announced the recipient of the prestigious Unsung Hero Award for 2013: Kathleen DiChiara, founder and CEO of Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside.

Monday’s announcement coincided with the launch of the New Jersey Hall of Fame Mobile Museum, the first mobile hall of fame museum in the nation.

Some 70 notable people from various walks of life have been inducted since 2008, including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, Toni Morrison, Frankie Valli, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Tony Bennett, Queen Latifah, Carl Lewis and Yogi Berra.