THE FOLLOWING IS THE LISTING OF THE NEW JERSEY HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012 NOMINEES…VOTING IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THRU JANUARY 1ST, 2012

CAST THE VOTES FOR YOUR FAVORITES NOW ON www.NJHALLOFFAME.ORG !!!

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HISTORICAL CATEGORY, Which is open for deceased New Jerseyans whose contributions transcend any one particular category:

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-Perennial nominee President Grover Cleveland is joined by Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President Aaron Burr.

-Revolutionary War luminaries Thomas Paine, Richard Stockton and Molly Pitcher.

-Activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Irene Hill Smith

-First female film director Alice Guy Blaché

-Rodeo star Annie Oakley

-Biochemist Selman Waksman

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CATEGORY, includes musicians, singers, songwriters, actors & actresses, artists, dancers and those who work in the related field:

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-Alan Alda,

-Christopher Reeve

-Michael Douglas

-The E Street Band

 -Celia Cruz

-Connie Francis

-Dionne Warwick

-Dizzy Gillespie

-Sarah Vaughn

-Mr. New Jersey Joe Piscopo

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THE ENTERPRISE CATEGORY includes scientists, business leaders, inventors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and leaders in medicine:

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-Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker

-Chef Alice Waters

-Inventors Alfred Vail, David Sarnoff

-Chemist John Dorrance

-Dr. James Still

-Elizabeth Coleman White

-John Roebling and Mary Roebling.

-Publishing giant Samuel I. Newhouse

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SPORTS CATEGORY, which is open not only to athletes, but also to coaches and others in the field of sports. :

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-Coaches Bill Parcells and Bob Hurley

-Giants owner Wellington Mara

-Broadcasting icons Dick Vitale and Ed Sabol 

-Basketball star Carol Blazejowski

-Track star Mary Decker Slaney

-Football greats Milt Campbell and Rosy Grier

-Baseball legend Monte Irvin

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THE GENERAL CATEGORY, is a broad category that includes educators, writers, poets, military leaders, scholars and more:

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-Artists Alexander Calder, Alfred Stieglitz, Charles Addams, and Thomas Nast

-Philanthropist Doris Duke

-Economist Milton Friedman

-Writers Joyce Carol Oates and Dorothy Parker

-Scholar Dorothy Porter Wesley

-Governor Tom Kean

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For  more information on the New Jersey Hall of Fame; and for additional info on each of our Nominees, click on our link below to read some of the Public Press Release by the NJHOF Executive Director, Don Smith

Click HERE to read more about our 2012 Nominees before casting your vote!

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As the originator and distributor of the Award Show Gift Bags for the New Jersey Hall of Fame, I want to extend a VERY SPECIAL AND HEARTFELT THANK YOU to all of the Donors and Sponsors of our annual Red Carpet Gala.

This was a phenomenal year and the Class of 2011 Inductees, Honorees and Presenters were AMAZING!  …

Queen Latifah, Mary Higgins Clark, Tony Bennett, Buzz Aldrin, Joe Piscopo, Joe Namath, Nancy Sinatra, The Shirelles, and so many others were recipients of our exclusive gift bags with content celebrating the great State of New Jersey!

Additionally, the bags intended FOR our Celebrities this year, were due in great part TO our celebs!  Mary & Carol Higgins Clark along with Joe Piscopo each so generously contributed their works and products to our cause, by their own giving natures. 

I am truly grateful to each of them; as well as the rest of our donors, for their selfless contributions, helping put our already elite event over the top!

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“We Are Jersey Proud!” 

And here is a list of our Proud supporters of the 2011 NJHOF Award Show Gift Bags, and where to find their Products and Services:

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Mary Higgins Clark

www.MaryHigginsClark.com

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Carol Higgins Clark

www.CarolHigginsClark.com

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Joe Piscopo’s Vita Joe

www.VitaJoeDrink.com

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Devil Brownies, LLC  (QVC-featured!)

www.DevilBrownies.com

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Suzi’s Sweet Shoppe

1100 Highway 35
Middletown, NJ 07748
732-796-0115

www.SuziSweetShoppe.com

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Derin Collection

www.DerinCollection.com

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Shine by Colle

115 Route 46 W Bldg F. 

 Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046

1.973.975.9587
www.ColleProducts.com

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Little Egg Harbor Soap Co

232 S. Shore Road Suite 8
Marmora, NJ 08223
(609)-390-9500

www.LittleEggHarborSoap.com

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Stuffed Cupcakes

231 Franklin Ave.
Nutley, NJ 07110

(973) 667-7778
www.StuffedCupcakes.com

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Four JG’s Winery

127 Hillsdale Road

Colts Neck, NJ 07722
(908) 930-8066

www.4JGsWinery.com

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Dr. Robert Korwin

562 Rt 35 Suite 9F

Red Bank, NJ  07701

732-219-8900

www.DrKorwin.com

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Vanity 101 Cosmetics/Skincare and Face to Fase – Facial Spa & Cosmetic Studio

44 Washington St.  Suite 108

Toms River, NJ  08753

732-668-2181

www.Vanity101.com

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This year’s class of Inductees has just been announced, and so begins my busy season with the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which will last up until our Red Carpet Ceremony in June; as I am the originator of their award show gift bags in addition to the gala’s official Makeup Artist.

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The next 4 months will be filled with planning, preparation, collection and distribution for our exclusive bags — and, in the meantime, I still need to run my Spa/Cosmetic Studio business!

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To do so, last year I enlisted the help of James (who I lovingly refer to as “James My Protege.”)   James and I met while I was conducting an advanced makeup and skincare class through his modeling agency.  But rather than esthetic inquiries, James was intrigued with my business sense and continually picked my brain for those two classroom hours, before following-up with additional biz questions via email right after. 

It was then that I knew a bright future was in store for him, and thus, my non-maternal birth of James My Protege

He was a wonderful help to me during last year’s Hall of Fame season, and I have and will continue to mentor him as he studies his college courses in business and advise him on his upcoming ventures which are sure to be a success.

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I feel so blessed to be where I am at today, in great-part to individuals who have given me a chance, even when they didn’t know I needed it. 

So now, I would like to take the amazing opportunity that I have been given to work as a member of the Hall of Fame committee and pay-forward a similar chance to a new assistant annually in hopes to advance his / her career.

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And so is my decision to select this year’s assistant …..

“Jim My Designer”

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Jim, also studying business, is currently caught in a seemingly unending cycle.  Eager to enter into his design industry, he has repeatedly come up against two words from potential employers that can be detrimental to your flowing passion in a new career … “no experience.”

But, how will anyone gain experience if not given the chance to shine?

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Well, I have decided to change that for Jim, and have asked him as my assistant for this year’s season.  Not only will he be a great help to me in the brainstorming and design aspects of this task, but he will get to experience NJ’s best and most exclusive yearly event, AND finally have a fabulous new job description to add to his resume.

How is THAT for “experience” ?! 

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After last year’s New Jersey Hall of Fame Red Carpet Induction Ceremony, with the attendance of Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Bruce Springstein and so many others, it left me wondering how we could possibly top such and extraordinary guest list.

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However, after being invited by the Executive Director to the Governor’s Press Conference in Trenton wherein he announced THIS year’s official list of Inductees, I know we are in for another phenomenal event!

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The Class of 2011 includes: (In the order of the Governor’s introduction)

-  John Basilone

-  Tony Bennett

-  Governor Brendan Byrne

-  Mary Higgins Clark

-  First Admiral William “Bull” Halsey

-  Franco Harris

-  Leon Hess

-  Queen Latifah

-  John “Bucky” Pizzarelli

-  Martha Stewart

-  Joe Theisman

-  John Travolta

-  Bruce Willis

The press announcement itself came with some of its own surprises.  Among the plethora of photographers and reporters were celebrity guests Carol Higgins Clark, who came to represent her mother’s  nomination; a former Soprano , Mrs. New Jersey, and past Governor Brendan Byrne, who was seated next to me in the front row, and reacted first-hand to the revelation of his induction.

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All of the speakers from our (non-publicly funded) Hall of Fame organization, in addition to our government leaders, shared one very prevalent characteristic – an immense Passion for our great State.

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To conclude the conference, we proudly unveiled our new theme for this year’s gala, “We’re Jersey Proud.”

Be confident that NJ is coming back … and the Hall of Fame bears incredible witness to the strength and talent that we residents clearly possess!

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Stay tuned to our Hall of Fame page on Vanity101.com and on our Facebook page “face to fase – Facial Spa & Cosmetic Studio,” as we will continually keep you up-to-date on all of the behind-the-scenes (and behind the stage) action from now until June 5th

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I am honored to have been invited back for my second year on the Gala Committee and as the Makeup Artist of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Last year’s Red Carpet Induction Ceremony was a huge success and I am very much looking forward to another great year…

…which will inevitably be the case with this year’s group of Nominees!

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Nominees will be selected from an array of Historical, Enterprise, Arts & Entertainment, Sports and General categories…

…and, it is up to YOU to choose! 

Voting is now open to the public through the NJ Hall of Fame website below

http://www.njhalloffame.org/nombios2011.html

Make sure YOUR favorites get inducted on this year’s Red Carpet.

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HERE IS THE OFFICIAL LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE CLASS OF 2011:

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HISTORICAL

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-John Basilone

A United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant, he was the only enlisted marine during World War II to receive the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross and Purple Heart. He fought at both the Battle of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima and was recently depicted in the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.”

-Aaron Burr

After attending Princeton University, he served in the army during the Revolutionary War, was a successful attorney and later became vice president during Thomas Jefferson’s presidential term.

-Grover Cleveland

The only President to serve two non-consecutive terms, he is still praised by historians for his honesty, independence and good character.

-Thomas Paine

Born in England, this great thinker immigrated to the colonies in 1774 where he was an author, pamphleteer, revolutionary and leading intellectual in pre-Revolutionary War efforts. Bordentown was his home for more than 25 years.

-Molly Pitcher

One of the few heroines of the Revolutionary War, she fought alongside her husband in the war, carried pitchers of clean water to soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth and later met with General George Washington, who issued her a warrant as a non commissioned officer.

-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Activist, abolitionist and a leading figure in the early woman’s right movement, she helped organize the first women’s rights convention, became the first president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and co-authored “History of Woman Suffrage.”

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ENTERPRISE

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-Leon Hess

Founder of Hess Corporation and former owner of the New York Jets, he took his father’s one-truck oil company and turned it into one of the largest oil companies in the world.

-Samuel I. Newhouse

A legendary publisher and media giant, he founded Advance Publications which now owns The Star-Ledger and magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.

-Mary G. Roebling

Broke the glass ceiling for women in business in general and in the banking and financial services industry specifically. She was the first female governor of the American Stock Exchange.

-David Sarnoff

Considered “the father of electronic communications,” he formed the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which went on to produce radio and television broadcasting, color TV and flat-panel display.

-Martha Stewart

A businesswoman, television host, author and magazine publisher, she is the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, currently hosts her syndicated talk show “Martha” and is the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

-Paul Volcker

Born in Cape May, Volker graduated from Teaneck High School and Princeton University to become a leading economist and Chairman of the Federal Reserve under Presidents Carter and Reagan.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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-Tony Bennett

Legendary singer who has sold more than 50 million records, won 15 Granny Awards, two Emmy Awards, and was named both an NEA Jazz Master and Kennedy Center Honoree among a long list of awards.

-Michael Douglas

Following in the steps of his father Kirk, he became a prominent actor who won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards and can be seen in the upcoming sequel to Wall Street, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

-Queen Latifah

After overcoming a difficult childhood, Dana Owen became a rapper, actress and singer who has earned Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Grammy Awards as well as Emmy and Academy Award nominations.

-John “Bucky” Pizzarelli

Born and bred in New Jersey, he is a legendary jazz guitarist who has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians, including Les Paul, Stephane Grappelli and Benny Goodman.

-John Travolta

From Welcome Back, Kotter to starring roles in the 1970’s classics Saturday Night Fever and Grease, Travolta has become a huge star, with two Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award.

-Bruce Willis

This German-born actor grew up in New Jersey before heading to California where he was cast in the hit show “Moonlighting,” for which he won a Golden Globe Award; has also appeared in many feature films including the Die Hard series, The Sixth Sense and Pulp Fiction.

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SPORTS

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-Rick Barry

Ranked of one of the 50 Greatest Players in History, by the NBA, he is a retired professional basketball player who is the only person to ever lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season.

-Dick Button

A two-time Olympic figure skating champion, he dominated men’s figure skating in the late 40s and early 50s, winning seven straight U.S. championships and five consecutive world titles.

-Ann Donovan

One of the most decorated figures in women’s basketball as a college player and has a head coach; three-time All-American who is now head coach at Seton Hall.

-Franco Harris

The first African American to be named as a Super Bowl MVP, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

-Wellington Mara

Legendary owner of the New York Giants who was responsible for bringing the team to New Jersey in 1976; although he lived in Rye, New York, he was beloved by New Jersey fans and proved you could be a successful sports owner as well as a gentleman.

-Joe Theismann

A South River High School graduate who achieved gridiron greatness at Notre Dame, in the Canadian Football League and eventually with the Washington Redskins.

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GENERAL

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-Governor Brendan Byrne

New Jersey’s 47th Governor, he has become an elder statesman for New Jersey and is known as much for his wit as for his wisdom.

-Mary Higgins Clark

Popular suspense and mystery writer with more than 40 bestseller over the past four decades with total sales topping 80 million books; active in many New Jersey charities.

-Allen Ginsberg

Most famous for his poem “Howl,” he was a leader of the Beat Generation who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize and was inducted into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

-Admiral William “Bull” Halsey

This highly decorated 5-star Navy Admiral commanded the U.S. Third Fleet during World War II; he was present at the Japanese surrender that ended World War II.

-Governor Tom Kean

New Jersey’s 48th Governor, he has had a far reaching career including long-time President of Drew University and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission; remains one of the most popular political figures in NJ history.

-Gustav Stickley

Renowned furniture maker and architect who became the leading spokesperson for the American Craftsman movement; established Craftsman Farms in 1905 as a center for students and his homestead.

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CAST YOUR VOTES NOW !!!

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When you are literally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Danny Devito and Susan Sarandon watching Jack Nicholson’s acceptance speech, are backstage and feet away from Bruce performing Glory Days, Vivica Fox tells you she loves your dress, and you cross the Raritan Bridge looking at the billboard photo that you did makeup for – worn by the woman sitting next to you in the limo…YOU HAVE THE BEST JOB EVER!!!

Here are SOME photos from the amazing Red Carpet Induction Ceremony for the New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2010…

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-Creative Baskets and Devil Brownies

-Derin International

-Gellman Images

-Little Egg Soaps

-Rutgers

-Shrivers

-Skip’s Florist and Gifts

-Suzi’s Sweet Shoppe

Vanity 101 will be supplying our products and our services to the inductees, honorees and presenters of this amazing event.