Note: The Hall of Fame series ran from 2001 through 2003.

During the course of both our personal and professional lives, we are given chances to create change, to provide opportunity—or sometimes to leave a legacy. Often, it is not some monumental feat or intricate undertaking that impacts those around us, but rather something quite simple—positive attitude, passion for what you believe, love for what you do—that touches the lives of others.

Welcome to Architectural Lighting's first Hall of Fame issue. Our inaugural list of inductees is made up of leaders who have captured that spirit of "simplicity" and, in turn, have captured the fascination and respect of our industry. Our esteemed honorees have carved out careers that have inspired and aided this profession in a variety of ways—some through practice, some through education, some through innovation and all through enthusiasm for their trade. Each of these people has been instrumental in forming the foundation of professional lighting design and has lent guidance, provided wisdom and set examples that are timeless—shaping the industry as we know it today.

But how do you select nine from so many qualified and worthy candidates? This was a difficult task. There was no particular method to making our choices for the first Architectural Lighting Hall of Fame. But I can tell you this: It's not just about longevity or commitment; otherwise, we'd have to award scores of lighting professionals. The selection process for a "2001 Spot" was initiated by the people who know best: You. Nominations from our readership were solicited by a third party, Prescolite, the co-founder of this Lighting Hall of Fame, in an effort to establish a permanent recognition of lighting excellence and to celebrate the industry's rich history. And while our search started with you, we then presented the nominations to a small group of advisers—including Fred Oberkircher, IES, LC; Matthew Tanteri, IES; Gary Steffy, FIALD, LC; Renee Cooley, IALD; Teal Brogden, IALD—did a little research of our own and consequently, selected our final nine. Picking so few from many more-than-eligible candidates, both living and deceased, was nearly impossible, but we're sure you'll agree that the final nine are not only first-rate, but have imbued our industry with positive-and unparalleled-energy:

Howard Brandston, FIALD, FIES, LC;
Lesley Wheel, FIALD;
William Lam, FIALD;
Motoko Ishii, IALD;
Sonny Sonnenfeld, IES;
David DiLaura, FIES;
Abe Feder, FIALD, FIES;
Edison Price; and
James Nuckolls, IALD.

Architectural Lighting is honored to induct these nine people into our Hall of Fame. We hope that after reading their profiles, which begin when you turn the page, you'll find some of the anecdotes as insightful, and often humorous, as we did ... after all, they're not just professionals but personalities.