Jewish-American Hall of Fame Chronology

• 1968: Julian Levin contributes $500 to get the Jewish-American Hall of Fame started. Victor Ries, Artist-in-Residence at the Magnes Museum, creates unique rounded trapezoidal shape and the first design, honoring Judah L. Magnes.
  
  Judah Magnes medal is presented to Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg. Shown (l to r): Seymour Fromer, Justice Goldberg, Mrs. Goldberg and Mel Wacks.
  
  
• 1969: Judah L. Magnes medals issued. One is presented to Justice Arthur Goldberg by Mel Wacks, Founder of the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, and Seymour Fromer, Founding Director of the Magnes Museum, in 1970. Photo of presentation appears on front page of Coin World newspaper. For many years, these medals were used by the American Friends of the Hebrew University for their Judah L. Magnes Gold Medal Award.
• 1970: Einstein medal by Robert Russin is called "the most beautiful art medal ever created," by a New York columnist. A few years later, Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NY) orders 100 medals for Alumni Association.
• 1971: Brandeis medal by Gerta Ries Wiener is called "beautiful" by Jacob Marcus, who purchased one for the American Jewish Archives, and another for himself. This is first of 11 medals created for us by Mrs. Wiener, who celebrated her 100th birthday in 1998!
• 1972: News about the George Gershwin medal by Russin appears in Grit, and in other newspapers around the country.
  
  Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley presented with Haym Salomon medal by the Jewish War Veterans. Photo by Mason Dooley.
  
• 1973: Paul Vincze, Dean of World Medallists, creates Haym Salomon commemorative for us. One is presented to Los Angeles Mayor Bradley by the Jewish War Veterans. This was our most popular issue ever, selling 950 bronze and 440 silver. Medal is illustrated in "Send for Haym Salomon" by Vick Knight, Jr.
• 1974: Jacques Schnier designs Herbert H. Lehman medal. This is his only other numismatic creation besides the Bay Bridge US commemorative half dollar, issued in 1936.
• 1975: Gerta Wiener's second medal honors Gershom Mendes Seixas.
• 1976: Henrietta Szold (medal by Gerta Wiener) is first woman in the Jewish- American Hall of Fame.
• 1977: Touro Synagogue medal by Victor Ries is first to be issued in gold. It is written up in the New York Times Numismatics column.

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