Hall of fame of great Americans – the gallery of sculptures outdoors in the Bronx. Modern America, it is not too well known, and in the first half of the twentieth century rattled the entire continent. From those times here were bronze busts and the spirit of pride in the young country that devises a history.

Creating the USA, the founding fathers rejected the idea to reward outstanding citizens knightly ranks – as is customary in the former mother country, Britain. However, the society needed some form of recognition of their fellow countrymen. Philosopher and educator, Chancellor of new York University Henry Mitchell McCracken proposed the idea of the Hall of fame, similar to the European pantheons.

A worthy place for such a Hall was found quickly: the buildings of new York University was located in one of the highest points of the city, which was opened with impressive views of the Harlem river. Hill had a glorious history: there once was located at Fort Washington, near which in 1776 the battle of the army of the colonists with the British.

In 1900, the architect Stanford white built a neoclassical open colonnade, covering the building of the University library. In the colonnade were provided for one hundred and two bronze busts. The nominees for the perpetuation determined by special vote of the Board of electors, which included famous people with his reputation intact – writers, historians, educators, and politicians. To nominate anyone could have.

The idea of taking over the country. Major Newspapers covered the voting process. Influential associations are spending big money on lobbying candidates. In 1900 elected the first 29 great citizens, awarded the bronze busts in the Hall, including presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin, General Ulysses Grant, philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, the inventor of the steamboat Robert Fulton. For the next seven decades the number of busts in the Hall came to ninety-eight.

While Americans are captivated by the brilliance of the Hall, believed to perpetuate it even more prestigious than the awarding of the Nobel prize. However, after the Second world slightly naive idea began to fade. In 1973, new York University, under the threat of bankruptcy sold the campus public College in the Bronx. Since 1976 great election was conducted. Recent favorites (including steel magnate Andrew Carnegie) did not manage to qualify for their own busts. Nineteen years it took to collect 25 thousand dollars for a bust of President Roosevelt.

Today the green hills, where once resounded battle, almost forgotten place, which, however, tourists to visit is not forbidden. Silent bronze statues looking on deserted sandy tracks. The names of some is nothing to say the passing students of the College. Bronze plaques near the busts tell of glory – eternal, then melting like smoke.