The Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame, housed in Marion since its inception, will relocate to the University of West Alabama as a consequence of the closure and bankruptcy of Judson College.
The Hall of Fame had been housed in A. Howard Bean Hall, a historic Carnegie Library building on the campus of the college. The Hall of Fame was established by the Alabama Legislature to honor remarkable Alabama women throughout history and in all fields of achievement. A bill, introduced in the Legislature in January as House Bill 100, had passed both the Alabama House and Senate as of Feb. 17. This bill would provide for the relocation and funding of the Hall of Fame in its new iteration.
When Judson announced its closure, the Board of Trustees of the Hall of Fame sought proposals from various public and private institutions to house the Hall, with UWA’s proposal winning out. Locating there would mean the Hall of Fame stays in the Black Belt, about an hour and a half from its original location. Though the bill to establish the AWHOF’s location has passed the legislature, it still awaits the signature of Gov. Kay Ivey before becoming law. Ivey will speak at the AWHOF’s 2022 induction ceremony, which had already been announced to be held on the campus of UWA on March 3. She is expected to announce her signing of the bill at that occasion.
