3 Essex County Luminaries Earn Spots In NJ Hall Of Fame

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Three luminaries from Essex County were recently honored with a spot in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF) honored 21 "Garden State heroes" as part of its 16th annual induction ceremony (watch the video below, and see the full list of awardees here).

The list of awardees includes three people from Essex County:

• Donald Katz (Newark) – founder of Audible, Inc., award-winning journalist, and author
• Warren Littlefield (Montclair) – NBC Entertainment president who oversaw the groundbreaking “Must See TV” lineup, including “Seinfeld”
• Father Edwin D. Leahy (Newark) – Benedictine monk and Catholic priest, headmaster of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark

Filmed at the New Jersey Hall of Fame at American Dream in East Rutherford and hosted by actor Danny DeVito, the 2024 ceremony provided some “Jersey pride, grit and humor.”

Inductees now have a permanent home at the NJHOF at American Dream in East Rutherford, America’s first Entertainment and Learning Center, which opened in June. The 10,000-square-foot center includes state-of-the-art exhibits that showcase the best of the Garden State, such as a karaoke stage where visitors can sing alongside holograms of musicians like Gloria Gaynor and Wyclef Jean and a Late Night Jersey TV Studio where participants can interview holograms of Jon Bon Jovi, Danny DeVito, Connie Chung, Jason Alexander, and other renowned New Jerseyans.

“My dreams were born in New Jersey, and my imagination was nurtured in her public schools, and for that, I am very grateful,” said acclaimed actor Meryl Streep (Basking Ridge and Bernardsville), who earned a nod in the Performing Arts & Entertainment category.

Soccer player Tim Howard, who eared a spot in the hall’s Sports category, credited his success to “grit, desire and unwavering dedication to never accept failure” – which he honed on the running pitches of North Brunswick.

“This is an annual opportunity to celebrate New Jersey’s best and brightest, both past and present,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.

Watch a video of the 2024 ceremony below via the NJHOF, or view it online here.

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