HONOLULU -- The Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, a new permanent
exhibit, has opened at Bishop Museum, the state museum of natural
and cultural history here.
The exhibit, on the ground floor of the museum's administrative
building, features photos, biographies and memorabilia related to
almost 60 sports pioneers and world-class athletes who have been
inducted into the state's Sports Hall of Fame.
The earliest inductee depicted is Alexander Joy Cartwright
(1820-1892), the father of modern baseball. He established rules
such as nine innings in a game and nine players on a team at a game
between his Knickerbockers and the New York Nine in Hoboken, N.J.,
in 1846.
After joining the California Gold Rush, Cartwright settled in
Honolulu in 1849. He taught the game, became a merchant and formed
and headed the city's first volunteer fire department. He was
inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in
1934. He is buried in Honolulu's Oahu Cemetery.
Among the other hall of famers is Kauai-born cowboy Ikua Purdy
(1873-1945), a Maui ranch foreman who became the world steer-roping
champion at the 1908 Cheyenne, Wyo., championship.
Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968), Hawaii's first Olympic medalist, is
featured along with five of his medals. He participated in swimming
events in four Olympics: 1912 in Stockholm (one gold medal, one
silver); 1920 in Antwerp (two gold); 1924 in Paris (one silver),
and 1932 in Los Angeles (one bronze). He is regarded as the father
of modern surfing, appeared in movies and spent 20 years as
honorary sheriff of Honolulu.
Hawaii-born Buster Crabbe (1908-1983), who learned to swim by
diving for coins tossed by tourists in the steamship days, won two
silver medals for swimming in the 1924 Olympics and a gold in 1932.
Later, he played Tarzan, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon in Hollywood
movies.
More information on Hawaii's Hall of Fame inductees can be found
on the Aloha Stadium's Web site at www.alohafame.com.
Bishop Museum, Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (808)
847-3511. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $11.95 for ages 4 to 12
and seniors, and free for children under the age of 4.