Since 1996, more than 160 influential people with ties to the Miami Valley have been inducted into the Dayton Region's Walk of Fame. Thursday at Sinclair Community College, seven more people were honored with a spot on the walk.
This year's honorees included actress and Oakwood native AllisonJanney. The popular West Wing and ‘Mom’ sitcom star says her inclusion on the walk felt a little overwhelming.
“It’s very cool, and my mom and dad and I walked down to Third and Williams and saw where my little stone will be and it was really exciting," she said. "I got chills and felt very proud to be part of the fabric of Dayton, Ohio.”
Oscar and Marjorie Boonshoft were alsohonored for their many charitable contributions to the Dayton area. They’re both deceased. But the Boonshofts’ son David participated in the ceremony, and says much of the money they donated came from his father’s success as a commodities trader.
“He used to talk about how giving made him feel good - not like he had less when he got done, but he had more, and that’s how he fulfilled himself in life,” he says.
Also honored Thursday were Brig. Gen. Benjamin Davis, Sr.,who was the first African American to be promoted to the rank of General in the U.S. Armed Forces in 1940, andCathyGuisewite, creator of the comic strip Cathy, which drew attention to women’s and social issues, andran in newspapers around the world for more than 35 years.
Former Ohio State Sen. and U.S. Congressman David L. Hobson, whorepresented parts of Dayton and Springfield for more than 20 years,and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, were also inducted into this year's walk of fame.
Listen to the full interviews below
Allison JanneyCathy GuisewiteRobert Stewart Speaking for Brigadier Gen. Benjamin Davis.The Honorable David L. HobsonGovernor Edwina Butler-Wolfe, Twila Parker, and Jason Bender with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma speak on the legacy of Chief Tecumseh.David Boonshoft talks about his parents Oscar and Marjorie Boonshoft
Copyright 2021 WYSO. To see more, visit WYSO. 9(MDA5NTM4MTIyMDE0MTg3NDc2MTVlZjdmNQ001))