Nicholson, Dr. Seuss Among Calif. Hall of Fame 2008 Class

By OLSEN EBRIGHT

Updated 1:22 PM PST, Mon, Jan 26, 2009

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento goes a little bit Hollywood, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California first lady Maria Shriver induct the latest class into the California Museum Hall of Fame.

Created by Shriver in 2006, the third exhibition will allow the narrative of California's biggest names to be told in innovative and engaging ways by presenting large items, a "Dr. Seuss" reading room, audio-visual components and interactive elements.

The 2008 inductees are:

Musician Dave Brubeck
Actor and activist Jane Fonda
Author Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel
Sculptor Robert Graham
Record producer Quincy Jones
Fitness guru Jack LaLanne
Photographer Dorothea Lange
Architect Julia Morgan
Actor Jack Nicholson
Scientist Linus Pauling
California founding father Leland Stanford
Chef Alice Waters

"Only in California can we celebrate the legacies of twelve incredibly diverse icons -- from Jack Nicholson to Quincy Jones, Dorothea Lange to Leland Stanford, Theodor Geisel to Alice Waters -- they all have an amazing story to share, as different and unique as California is vast," Shriver said. "The California Hall of Fame has become a landmark destination and this year's new and expanded exhibit once again showcases the stories and achievements of these amazing individuals in a more innovative and interactive way."

The new California Hall of Fame exhibition space has expanded to approximately 3,000 square feet. With more space, the exhibition will feature items like the horse-drawn carriage owned by Governor Leland Stanford and a Henney Kilowatt Electric Car, for which double-Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling provided the research. It will also feature multimedia presentations, like a Quincy Jones listening station; a piano that plays Dave Brubeck classics; and early Jack LaLanne videos.

Iconic cultural pieces featured will be Jack Nicholson's script from The Shining, complete with the actor's notes and drawings; the cameras with which Dorothea Lange captured American faces during times of great hardship; and the handcuffs Jack LaLanne wore on his legendary swim from Alcatraz.

The exhibition opens to the public on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

2007 Inductees:
Ansel Adams, Milton Berle, Steve Jobs, Robert Mondavi, Willie Mays, Rita Moreno, Jackie Robinson, Jonas Salk, M.D., John Steinbeck, Elizabeth Taylor, Earl Warren, John Wayne and Tiger Woods.

2006 Inductees:
Cesar Chavez, Walt Disney, Amelia Earhart, Clint Eastwood, Frank Gehry, David D. Ho, M.D., Billie Jean King, John Muir, Ronald Reagan, Sally K. Ride, Ph.D., Alice Walker and the Hearst and Packard Families.