BRONX, N.Y. - President Donald Trump says he's looking to honor a group of Americans of his choosing, but a monument in the Bronx already honors Americans chosen by an electoral college from people in every state of the union.

What You Need To Know


  • Trump's Executive Order "established the Interagency Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes".

  • Rebuilding Is Key - The Hall Of Fame For Great Americans Needs Millions in Repairs.

  • Two percent of the statues are of black men, and just two percent of Bronx Community College’s enrollment is White.
  • Advocates Say After Repairs, Money Could Be Used To Diversify The People Honored With Bronze Busts.

“The Hall of Fame for Great Americans was the very first hall of fame of any kind in the United States,” said Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan.

In 1901, NYU’s North Campus, which is now Bronx Community College, unveiled the Hall Of Fame. The elections took place every five years until the 1970’s, choosing who would be sculpted, the selections were made with great fan fare.

“People used to know about it much more than they do today,” said Ultan.

Now 96 bronze busts line the colonnade of not just politicians, but also big achievers in arts, science, social work, education and the military.

A diverse group of professions, but many say not a diverse enough group of people.

“It is very much kind of a dead white male ambience,” said Sam White, a great grandson of the celebrated architect Stanford White who designed the Hall of Fame. "To be fair, there are a handful of women honored like Lillian Wald who founded Henry Street Settlement and two African Americans: Booker T Washington and George Washington Carver.

“There’s a big disconnect there,” said White. "And it’s not connecting to the students at all.”

That’s because two percent of the statues are of Black men, and just two percent of Bronx Community College’s enrollment is White.

In 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo responded to the outcry against memorials to Confederate generals around the country and had the busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson removed.

“You cannot say they were great Americans because they were fighting against America,” said White who was in favor of their removal.

Now the Hall needs at least $5 million in repairs before advocates can even begin to consider improvements.

“I hope the Hall of Fame gets some funding from somewhere to diversify and expand its cast of characters," White added.

That could come from Trump’s executive order. It calls for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes.

“We can certainly use the money,” said White.