Our Mission

The Cricket Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to promote and develop the game of cricket in the United States, inducting local and international cricket Heroes for their contribution to the game of cricket and to make a difference in the community through charities, in the true spirit of the game.

"A cricket Hall of Fame in United States"
 

The answer is Yes!. In February 1981, it was the vision of the Executive Committee of Sportsmen's Athletic Club in Hartford, CT to launch the First Cricket Hall of Fame in the World. The birth of the Cricket Hall of Fame came about only after a number of attempts to start it did not materialize. It was initially thought to start the Hall of Fame with participation of Organization throughout the U.S. The organizations had a verbal encouragement but no concrete action. Unmoved by the lack of real interest, The Executive Committee at its February 1981 meeting agreed to recommend to the membership of its parent body, the Sportsmen's Athletic Club, Inc., that the program be instituted on an in-house basis. The rest is now History.

The first Annual Cricket Hall of fame Induction Dinner was held on October 17,1981 at the Hartford Holiday Inn Hotel. The affair was well attended and the festive nature of the program prevailed. The inductees were James Gabriel, John Law, Lloyd Walford, Alfred valentine, Lance Gibbs and Wesley Hall.

The Hall of Fame earned the respect of Cricket players and lovers far and wide. But, a decision to move the induction ceremony to New York resulted in the function not coming off as expected and in a total inactivity of the Hall of Fame. After a Five year stagnation, in 1997, a bold effort by Linford Miller, who was the president of Sportsmen's, paid off and the institution was reborn. Under the leadership of former Sportsmen's President Micheal Chambers, the Hall of Fame has not only become active but it has regained the respect that it previously had and is geared to move on to greater heights.

Since its revival, The Hall of Fame has not only taken over the popular Six-a-side tournament but has moved to the forefront aiding many deserving charities. This included the raising of over 400,000 surgical gloves for the health workers working with AIDS infected children in Jamaica, making donations to local charities. The Humanitarian awards ceremony launched in the year 2000 raised funds for the Boys' Town project and Boy Scouts movement in Jamaica, and a youth Hotline in Barbados, a Children's Home in St Lucia and Alvin Kallicharan Foundation in Guyana.

Our Committee members:

• Denton McCalla, President
• Michael Chambers, Director
• Dolton James, Ph.D., Assistant Director
• Jessica Angelo-Julien, Program Coordinator (For information)
• Ovid John, Treasurer
• Vernon Tennant, Secretary
• Stanford Walker, Public Relations Secretary
• Errol Archer
• Gearge Steir
• Patrick Hamilton
• D. B. Grant
• Keith Dehaney
• Pauline Davis
• Beverly Cohen

Cricket Hall of Fame moves to more spacious quarters

Hartford’s Cricket Hall of Fame is getting close to realizing its dream of becoming a museum that will add to the tourist attractions that are presently available in the city. Through the initiative of its director, Michael Chambers, the Hall of Fame has moved to more spacious quarters at the same location and is presently undergoing extensive refurbishing.

Following the completion of the refurbishing, a grand opening will be held on Friday, July 18, in conjunction with Sportsmen’s Club, who this year will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. The interior of the Sportsmen’s Club is also undergoing extensive renovation to bring the facility in line with others of its kind, president John Barrett said.

Established in 1981, by members of Sportsmen’s, the Hall of Fame’s first Induction Dinner was held October 17, 1981, at the Hartford Holiday Inn Hotel. A capacity crowd which was in a festive mood helped celebrate the induction of its first inductees, James Gabriel, John Law and Lloyd Walford, for their contribution to the sport in the U.S., and former West Indian stars Alfred Valentine, Lance Gibbs and Wesley Hall.

A decision to move the induction ceremony to New York resulted in a five-year stagnation of the institution. However, since its revival in 1997, the Hall of Fame has inducted former world cricket stars Sir Vivian Richards of Antigua and Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar. The Hall of Fame which has since regained its respect in the community has also taken over the popular Six-a-Side tournament held each year in Hartford and also aided deserving charities.

Members of the cricketing community who may have in their procession books, photographs, cricket objects, artifacts, films or other of historical significance of the sport are urged to consider donating them to the Hall of Fame.

Hartford’s Cricket Hall of Fame is a division of the Sportsmen’s Athletic Club.

Please stop by the new location at 3000, Main Street , Hartford,CT