With understandable pride, on the fourth Saturday of August, the Hawthorne Historical Society presented a banquet and ceremony to induct this year’s honorees into our Hall of Fame. In doing so, we are continuing a program created in 2014 to fulfill an unanswered need: to recognize and honor individuals, organizations, businesses and others who have notably contributed to the wellbeing, regard and unity of our community across the many chapters of our story.
Our Board of Directors devoted their time to the careful consideration of candidates, to selecting the time, form, location, provisions and style of the ceremony, to the creation of an appealing and accessible event. They reached out to our honorees to invite them to participate, to learn more about their lives and contributions and to support them in attending and accepting the recognition they are due. They announced the event to the public at large and welcomed all who joined in the celebration of the achievements of our newest additions to the Hall of Fame family. With the help of many friends in the community, they toiled to make that Saturday’s event a reality.
An afternoon luncheon seemed to fit the bill for a comfortable, personal intermingling of our honorees with appreciative members of our community. After a pleasant buffet, the ceremony started. One by one, each of this year’s honorees were introduced to the enthusiastic reception of the audience:
HAWTHORNE IMPERIAL LIONS CLUB
From its earliest years, Hawthorne’s citizens have benefited from an abundance of community service organizations. The local chapter of the Lions Club has always stood out as a force in identifying and addressing the particular needs of our citizens. The chapter’s ongoing project provides community members with professional eye examinations to identify irregularities before they become more serious problems. Alaric Simon, president of the current chapter, received our recognition on behalf of his fellow Lions.
CLIFF MEIDL,
a “local” from Manhattan Beach, experienced a devastating, disabling accident while working in Hawthorne at twenty years of age. With the support of a loving family, a determined medical community and his own extraordinary personal courage and determination, he turned a tragedy into a triumph. He not only regained his physical abilities, he went on to become a world-class competitive kayaker and to compete in two Olympic Games. Adding success to success, he reached out to others through public speaking to encourage those who have sustained terrifying injuries and to advocate and support the adoption of safety measures to further protect people whose work necessarily involves hazardous conditions.
RON MIX
From the athletic fields of Hawthorne High School to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, Ron Mix was a legend long before our humble recognition on a Saturday afternoon this August. Football achievement won him entry to USC. Prominence on the SC team lead to national professional football. During his playing days, he studied law and was called to the Bar, practicing in San Diego for more than forty years after his football career. His interests in helping others are as diverse as an association he established to assist struggling retired Pro Football Hall of Fame members and his support of the San Diego LGBT Community Center. On or off the field, Ron Mix has been a force to be reckoned with.
OLIVER & DAVID WILLIAMS
Two brothers from Holly Park flourished in the Hawthorne Junior All-American football program where volunteer coaches and supportive parents guided and inspired the young players. Each brother found a pathway to success – one could say “stardom” – in college-, then professional football. But they didn’t drift away from their family or their hometown in the excitement of their fame. David founded the David Williams Foundation to mentor and support young athletes in their community, enlisting the support of Oliver, brother Steven and other family members to ensure that future generations of youngsters have the help and motivation that they were able to draw upon in their youth. The Williams family are among Hawthorne’s valued assets.
PIZZA SHOW
New Yorker Jay Evans brought the concept of a pizzeria to the South Bay just as Americans were falling madly in love with the “pie,” to which they had been recently introduced. Today, pizza is an essential part of the American diet — in 1958, he opened a second small venue with unmistakable mid-century signage along the route that was already recognized for “cruisin’ the Boulevard:” the era of rock ‘n’ roll, street racing, golden youth, fast cars and fast food that Hollywood and Broadway have since immortalized. For nearly seventy years, Pizza Show has remained a landmark, serving the same great food reliably while welcoming our community and visitors from everywhere else, thanks to the efforts of the Evans family and their dedicated associates. They are a beloved part of Hawthorne life.
We are proud of our newest members of our Hall of Fame and glad to have been able to present them to our Community for appreciation of their contributions to our City’s story and unique character. Our thanks to those who attended our ceremony.
See you next time!
