Orange County welcomes 10 inductees into Hall of Fame
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Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron, Newport Beach philanthropists Henry and Susan Samueli and Carl St. Clair, who served as music director for Pacific Symphony for 35 years, are among the 10 newest members of the Orange County Hall of Fame.
Other inductees in the Class of 2025 are: pioneering landowner, merchant and city namesake James Irvine I; Huntington Beach businessman and philanthropist Ed Laird; Olympic diver and physician Sammy Lee; Eddie Sheldrake, a UCLA basketball star-turned-entrepreneur; Robert August, a surf legend featured in the film “The Endless Summer;” Olympian high jumper and longtime educator Ed Caruthers; and Gaddi Vasquez, a former county supervisor, U.N. Ambassador and Peace Corps director.
Recipients and their representatives were honored Tuesday in a ceremony at the county’s Board Hearing Room. Caruthers, Laird, Sheldrake, Vazquez and the Samuelis attended in person, and Cameron delivered remarks via video.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee, who emceed the event, recognized this year’s recipients’ outstanding achievements in music, arts and entertainment, business, philanthropy and sports.
“I’m delighted that we have so many terrific Orange County dignitaries in this year’s class,” the Fourth District supervisor said in a statement. “Their stories are not only a reflection of Orange County’s heritage, but also are an inspiration for all of us to do great things.”
While a similar Orange County Sports Hall of Fame honoring the county’s world-class athletes recognized inductees from 1980 into the late 1990s, the idea behind the current Hall of Fame originated in 2023, when county supervisors formed a search committee to recognize individuals with significant impact on Orange County culture, society and business.
“The individuals we celebrate today…shape the country’s future through action, not rhetoric,” Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement. “Together, all ten honorees ensure every child, every business and every community thrive.”
Plaques marking the achievement will remain on display at the County Administration North building, in the lobby outside the supervisors’ board hearing room. For more, including biographies and past honorees, visit ocgov.com/about-county/orange-county-hall-fame.
