NJ Hall of Fame 2019: Jason Alexander, George R. R. Martin
"Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander, rocker Southside Johnny Lyon and legendary basketball player and coach Anne Donovan are among this year's inductees to the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced the winners of the Hall's 11th class at a ceremony Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport.
In the category of arts and letters, inductees include "Jaws" author Peter Benchley of Pennington, longtime Star-Ledger sports columnist Jerry Izenberg of Neptune, "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin of Bayonne and photographer Timothy White of Fort Lee.
In the performing arts category, Alexander, who grew up in Livingston and played George Costanza on "Seinfeld," is among the winners. Lyon, of Neptune, helped pioneer the Jersey shore sound with The Asbury Jukes, and pop band The Smithereens, with members from Carteret and Scotch Plains.
Inductees in the category of enterprise include businessmen J. Fletcher Creamer Sr. of Saddle River, F.M. Kirby II of Harding and Arthur F. Ryan of Newark. They are joined by restaurateur and entrepreneur Tim McLoone of Little Silver, businesswoman Mary Roebling of Trenton, and businesswoman and TV personality Martha Stewart of Nutley, who was previously selected but is being inducted this year.
In the public service category, activist Elizabeth Allen of Hoboken is being honored. She was a teachers' rights advocate, and the first woman president of the New Jersey Education Association. Newark physician and professor Victor Parsonnet also is being inducted. He was a cardiac surgeon who helped advance pacemaking.
In the sports category, New York Giants football players Harry Carson of Franklin Lakes and Bart Oates of Harding are being inducted, along with Donovan of Ridgewood and Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez of Old Bridge.
The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 27 in Asbury Park.
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