Gov. Jerry Brown awarded the Spirit of California medal Tuesday to eight Californians inducted into the Golden State’s Hall of Fame in Sacramento.
The 12th group of inductees include musician Joan Baez; mountaineer and scientist Arlene Blum; journalist Belva Davis; chef Thomas Keller; former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; public servant Nancy McFadden; Hollywood icon and environmentalist Robert Redford; and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
“We are honoring people who did their utmost and exceeded the ordinary,” said Brown. “Whatever you folks have done, don’t stop now, keep going — and I say the same thing about California.”
Inductees and family members of posthumous inductees received their medals from the Governor and First Lady Anne Gust Brown in the official state ceremony. The eight inductees will be commemorated with an exhibition of artifacts highlighting their lives and achievements that opens Wednesday
This year’s recipients join 113 Californians previously inducted for making remarkable achievements across a variety of industries and areas of influence, including science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment, the arts, literature, technology, activism and politics.
