Wisconsin Sailing and Maritime Hall of Fame to open in September

The logo for the Wisconsin Sailing & Maritime Hall of Fame. (Image courtesy: Wisconsin Maritime Museum)

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Wisconsin Maritime Museum announced the opening date of the Wisconsin Sailing and Maritime Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame will be a permanent exhibit at the museum in Manitowoc.

The Hall of Fame opens Sept. 19, with an induction ceremony at 11:00 a.m. for 18 inductees chosen by peers. They were selected for significant contributions to sailing, boating, boatbuilding, maritime commerce, and innovation in Wisconsin and beyond.

The following are all the inductees coming to the inaugural Hall of Fame class:

• Harry “Buddy” Melges Jr. – Sailing
• William Bentsen – Sailing
• Peter Barrett – Sailing
• Jane Pegel – Sailing
• Bill Mattison – Sailing
• Dean Cady – Sailing
• John Strassman – Sailing
• Bill Schanen – Sailing
• Ellsworth Peterson – Marine Industry
• Peter and Olaf Harken, and Art Mitchell – Marine Industry
• Mike Kelsey, Edward ‘Shuff’ Willman, and Bill Parsons – Marine Industry
• William R. Kahlenberg – Marine Industry
• Don O’Keefe – Marine Industry
• Carl Kiekhafer – Marine Industry
• Bill Prince – Marine Industry

Northeast Wisconsin inductees are bolded.

“The Wisconsin Sailing and Maritime Hall of Fame will celebrate the innovators, sailors, and entrepreneurs whose vision, skill, and dedication have left an enduring mark on our state’s maritime history,” said Wisconsin Maritime Museum Executive Director Kevin Cullen in a news release.