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Another class of trailblazers is inducted to Orange County Hall of Fame

December 10, 2025

The first Asian American male Olympic gold medalist, a legendary film director and the first Latino county supervisor were among the third class of Orange County trailblazers inducted to the OC Hall of Fame.

Families and friends gathered in Santa Ana Tuesday morning, Dec. 9, to celebrate the 10 athletes, entertainers, civic leaders and philanthropists in a ceremony hosted by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Jacklyn Mitosinka, granddaughter of Eddie Sheldrake accepts his nomination into the Orange County Hall of Fame in Santa Ana, CA on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. Sheldrake was inducted in the Sports category. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Diver Sammy Lee made history at the 1948 Olympics as the first Asian American man to win gold — but that wasn’t the only barrier he would conquer. When Lee and his wife moved to Orange County in the late 1950s to establish his medical practice, they were “not met with open arms,” said Sammy Lee Jr., who accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of his father, who died in 2016.

Realtors in Garden Grove refused to show them homes out of fear that the presence of Asian homeowners would decrease property values, Lee Jr. recalled. They were able to settle down only with the help of the media and President Richard Nixon, Lee Jr. said.

“My dad was a pioneer in many aspects and was an extremely proud Korean American,” Lee Jr. said. “He was gratified by his fellow Asians who moved to Orange County and contributed in helping to make it prosper.”

Gaddi Vasquez, a former U.S. ambassador to Rome who became the first Latino county supervisor, thanked the county for the recognition and noted that he’s crossed paths with each of the other nine inductees.

“It’s a reminder that even though we’re a county of over 3 million people, we live in a quaint community,” said Vasquez, who is also the first Hispanic American director of the Peace Corps, the agency noted at the time. “We’ve been blessed to call this place home.”

Hollywood titan James Cameron, who directed three of the four highest-grossing films of all time, was also inducted Tuesday but couldn’t attend the ceremony due to press engagements for the third “Avatar” movie. In a short video message, the “Titanic” and “Terminator” director and deep-sea explorer said he was honored by the recognition.

The Canadian-born Cameron moved to Brea in 1971, where he attended high school and briefly studied physics at Fullerton College before dropping out.

Another inductee is high jumper Ed Caruthers, who won an Olympic silver medal at the 1968 Games. Caruthers, from Fullerton, went on to coach track at his alma mater, Santa Ana College, and teach special education in the Garden Grove School District for more than 35 years.

In his acceptance speech, Caruthers said he had just one disappointment in his esteemed career: failing to help college athletes surpass his own achievement.

“I wanted to see the headline: ‘Ed Caruthers, two-time Olympian, helps high jumper break his record,’” he said, drawing applause and laughter from the audience. “Didn’t happen. I still hold the record at Santa Ana College.”

Several Hall of Famers broke barriers in music, culture and commerce.

Maestro Carl St.Clair, the longest-serving American-born conductor of a US orchestra, recently concluded his 35-year tenure as music director of Orange County’s Pacific Symphony.

Then there is Robert August, who grew up surfing in Huntington Beach and shot to stardom in the 1960s after starring in the surf film “The Endless Summer,” later launching his famed namesake surfboard company.

A college basketball star at UCLA, Eddie Sheldrake became a giant of the food industry as the co-founder of Fullerton-based restaurant and bakery chain Polly’s Pies. Sheldrake died earlier this year.

Philanthropists James Irvine I, the Irvine family patriarch who assembled the vast Irvine Ranch; Henry and Susan Samueli, owners of the Anaheim Ducks, who have gifted more than a $1 billion through their foundation to benefit a variety of Orange County communities; and Ed Laird, a plastics pioneer who empowered youth through scouting and promoted conservation through the Bolsa Chica Conservancy; rounded out the list.

Laird, a long-time Surf City resident, was accompanied on stage by family and friends as well as the Huntington Beach City Council.

Since 2023, when the board established the county’s own Hall of Fame, supervisors have formed an ad hoc committee each year to select the new class of 10 inductees. Eligible nominees must have spent at least a decade in Orange County as a resident or business owner, have been a civic leader or had one major life experience or won a major award in the county.

Supervisors Don Wagner and Janet Nguyen chaired this year’s committee.

Previous OC Hall of Famers include pop superstar Gwen Stefani, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez.

The Hall of Fame plaques are installed in the lobby of the county administration offices for public viewing.

Another class of trailblazers is inducted to Orange County Hall of Fame Orange County Register

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Another class of trailblazers is inducted to Orange County Hall of Fame

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