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Recognizing Excellence

Honoring Contributions To Our Community

As of 2024, over 300 honorees have been recognized on the Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame for their outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation and the world in the areas of:

  • Arts and Culture

  • Aviation

  • Business/Corporate Leader

  • Community Service

  • Education

  • Entertainment/Media

  • Environment

  • Government/Military

  • Invention/Innovation

  • Medicine

  • Philanthropy

  • Science

  • Significant Personal Achievement

  • Sports

Learn About The Past. Encourage The Future.

Since its inception in 1996 as a part of the City of Dayton’s bicentennial celebration, individuals have been recognized on the Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame for their outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation and the world.

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The Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame is installed in the sidewalks along West Third Street between Shannon and Broadway Streets in the historic Wright-Dunbar Business District, and can be enjoyed year-round. Visit the place where three exceptional men, Orville and Wilbur Wright, and Paul Laurence Dunbar called home. Begin your visit at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, where you can chat with knowledgeable staff, pick up a Walk of Fame walking tour brochure, information and directions to other historical sites, and find out about general programs and special events during your visit.

2025 Walk Of Fame Honorees

Introducing The Nominations For This Year

The votes are in for this year's class of honorees. Our honorees range from an influential funk band, to a successful business woman and a world famous actor. For over 200 years, Dayton has been a hub of creative innovation for business, politics, entertainment and community. We are proud to introduce the nominated honorees for this year's Dayton Region Walk Of Fame.​

Walk Of Fame Luncheon

Join us on September 24, 2025, 11am at Sinclair Community College for the 2025 Dayton Region Walk Of Fame luncheon. Our 2025 Honorees will be present to address the audience, pictures and award presentations. Quantities are limited so don't wait. Get your tickets now.

Nominate 2026 Honorees

Nominees are now being accepted for the class of 2026. Nominations must be submitted by February 28, 2026 to be considered for that years class. You will need to login or set up a Google account (your gmail account) to be able to submit the online nomination form.

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If you would prefer to submit a paper or email nomination, download the form here. You can email the form to daytonwalkoffame@gmail.com or mail to:

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Wright Dunbar Inc

1139 W. Third St, Suite 200

Dayton OH 45402

Walk Of Fame Inductees

Click the button to learn more about some of our Dayton Region's Walk of Fame Inductee's outstanding and enduring personal or professional contributions to the community, nation and the world.

  • Dr. Irwin M. Abrams

  • Lucinda W. Adams

  • David D. Albritton

  • Vincent Groby Apple

  • Major General Harry G. Armstrong, USAF, MD

  • Paul “Easy” Arnold

  • Marie S. Aull

  • Eliam E. Barney

  • Reverend DeSoto Bass

  • Suzanne M. Bassani

  • Harry C. Baujan

  • Hannah Beachler

  • Clark E. Beck

  • Arthur Beerman

  • Loren M. Berry

  • Jeraldyne Blunden

  • Phyllis G. Bolds

  • Erma Bombeck

  • Oscar and Marjorie Boonshoft

  • The Honorable Edward Grimes Breen

  • Hallie Quinn Brown

  • Katharine Kennedy Brown

  • Clayton John Bruckner

  • Si Burick

  • Milton Caniff

  • Julia Shaw Carnell

  • Iula O. Carter

  • Nancy Cartwright

  • Lester LeFevre Cecil 

  • William Hale Charch

  • Celebration Dayton ‘96

Charles Ritter Collett

  • Jeanne Comer

  • Charlotte Reeve Conover

  • George C. Cooper

  • Governor James M. Cox

  • Major General George Crook

  • Dr. Tom D. Crouch

  • Levitt Luzern Custer

  • Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, USAF

  • Gussie Lord Davis

  • Willis “Bing” Davis

  • Carleton William “Carl” Day  

  • Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC)

  • Dayton Marcos

  • The Dayton Triangles Football Team

  • Colonel Edward A. Deeds, USA

  • Dr. Martin Robison Delany

  • Joseph R. Desch

  • Dr. Richard A. DeWall

  • Governor Mike DeWine

  • Phil Donahue

  • Donald J. Donoher

  • Electra C. Doren

  • Ralph and Christine Dull

  • Paul Laurence Dunbar

  • Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley, WAC

  • Gerard “Fuzzy” Faust

  • The Honorable Judge Arthur O’Neil Fisher

  • Brother Raymond L. Fitz

  • Dr. August F. Foerste

  • Ermal C. Fraze

  • Gem City Chorus

  • Major Dominic Salvatore Gentile, AAF

  • Harvey Dunn Geyer

  • Jerry Gillotti

  • Lillian and Dorothy Gish

  • Neal Gittleman

  • Roger Glass

  • Jessie O. Gooding

  • William G. Goodwin

  • Annae Barney Gorman

  • John Gower

  • A.B. Graham

  • Richard H. Grant, Sr.

  • Barrett K. Green

  • Anne S. Greene

  • Guided By Voices

  • Cathy Guisewite

  • Lewis B. Gunckel

  • Clark J. Haines

  • Jesse “Pop” Haines

  • The Honorable Congressman Tony P. Hall

  • Virginia Hamilton

  • Keith Harrison

  • Michael Hauer

  • Colonel Dean E. Hess, USAF

  • Clarence Charles Hobart

  • David L. Hobson

  • Dr. John Hole

  • Dale Huffman

  • Horace M. Huffman, Jr.

  • Dr. Lewis Albert Jackson

  • Allison Janney

  • John L. Janning

  • Edward “Al” Johnson

  • Jacob O. Joyce

  • Milton Kantor

  • Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ

  • Paul Katz

  • Charles F. Kettering

  • Virginia Kettering

  • Robert C. Koepnick 

  • William P. Lear

  • John Legend

  • The Honorable State Representative Lloyd E. Lewis, Jr.

  • Evangeline Lindsley

  • Neal V. Loving

  • Alyce Downing Lucas 

  • Frederic Charles MacFarlane

  • Herbert Woodward Martin

  • Clay and MaryAnn Mathile

  • William Preston Mayfield

  • Harold “Hal” McCoy

  • Clarence “C.J.” McLin, Jr.

  • John A. McMahon

  • George Houk Mead

  • Reverend Leo Meyer, S.M.

  • Thomas Midgley, Jr.

  • Daniel W. Mikesell

  • John E. Moore, Sr.

  • Arthur E. Morgan

  • Bette Rogge Morse

  • Edwin C. Moses

  • Phoebe Anne Mosey “Annie Oakley”

  • Idotha “Bootsie” Neal

  • Ervin J. Nutter

  • Zoe Dell Nutter

  • The Ohio Players

  • The Osborne Brothers

  • James A Parsons, Jr.

  • John H. Patterson

  • Margaret E. Peters

  • Mike Peters

  • Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger, USAF

  • Louis F. Polk

  • Dr. David H. Ponitz

  • Doris Ponitz

  • Esther Price  

  • Reverend Edward A. Puff

  • Sharon Rab

  • Jane Reece

  • Julia Reichert

  • Police Sergeant Lucius J. Rice and Policewoman Dora B. Rice

  • Judge Walter Herbert Rice

  • Frederick Rike

  • Miriam Rosenthal

  • Robert “Bob” P. and Norma Ross

  • Mac Ross

  • Fritz and Dolores Russ

  • Mike Schmidt

  • Betty Schmoll

  • Captain Rudolph “Shorty” Schroeder, USA

  • Robert Keyser “Bob” Schul

  • Benjamin and Marian Schuster

  • Josephine L. and Hermene Schwarz

  • LaVerne Kenon Sci

  • Gerald Sharkey

  • Martin Sheen

  • John Q. and William C. Sherman

  • John D. Siebenthaler

  • Ned Sifferlen

  • David A. Sinclair

  • Frederick C. Smith

  • Sister Dorothy Stang

  • Frank Stanton

  • Corporal Tony Stein, USMC

  • Dr. Rembert E. Stokes

  • Frank M. Tait

  • Dr. G. Douglas Talbot

  • Charlie Taylor

  • Tecumseh

  • The Breeders

  • Charles A. Thomas

  • Louise Troy

  • University of Dayton Men’s Basketball Program

  • Dr. Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain

  • Don Wayne

  • Calvin J. Werner

  • Dr. Charles H. Wesley

  • Betsy and Leon Whitney

  • Jonathan Winter

  • General Janet Wolfenbarger, USAF

  • Mitchell “Booty” Wood

  • Jean V. Woodhull

  • Alice Woodward

  • Orville Wright

  • Wilbur Wright

  • Chief Rudolph F. Wurstner

  • Brigadier General Charles Young, USA

  • Eugene Edward Young, Jr.

  • Rosamond M. Young

Please Donate Or Sponsor To Show Your Support

Giving to the Dayton Region Walk of Fame not only helps support our efforts to recognize outstanding members of our community, but allows the Wright Dunbar Discover District to create a physical record about the amazing history of Dayton that everyone can enjoy whenever they want. 

Walk The Walk

The Dayton Region Walk of Fame is located on West Third Street in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood of Dayton.

 

Click on the button below to view the map that highlights the inductees and their stone locations.

Visit the Walk of Fame and take a stroll through history, learn something new and make a day of it by visiting District food and dining options.

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