My first thought was “California has a Hall of Fame?” and in my head, the question was asked in Gov. Schwarzenegger’s voice. Which, as it turns out, is entirely appropriate because The California Hall of Fame started out two years ago as the brainchild of Maria Shriver, California’s first lady.

Shriver wanted a way to celebrate both native-born Californians and people who had come to California to work, play, inspire, innovate and live. It’s a nice tribute for a lot of Californian artists, entrepreneurs and icons.

Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Quincy Jones and the late Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel were among those inducted into the California Hall of Fame Monday night.

Also inducted by California Gov. and former film star and governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver during the ceremony at The California Museum in Sacramento were Dave Brubeck, Robert Graham, Jack LaLanne, Dorothea Lange, Julia Morgan, Linus Pauling, Leland Stanford, and Alice Waters.

The California Museum’s Hall of Fame is a program created by Shriver to celebrate Californians “who embody the state’s spirit of inspiration and innovation,” the museum said.

[From United Press International]

The museum put a lot of thought into the event, even gathering up personal papers, childhood mementos and individual awards from the inductees. Nicholson’s childhood report cards were on display, complete with one teacher’s note that Nicholson “needs to show better self control” (which just proves we don’t really change as we get older). Nicholson and Fonda even let the museum borrow their Oscars for a temporary display. It’s a lovely tribute to these icons, and it probably meant a lot to the inductees to be so honored by their home state.

Note by Celebitchy: UPI has a slideshow of the event, which was attended by Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Rita Moreno, and Dave Brubeck among others. Jack LaLanne, 94, still looks awesome! He received a Spirit of California medal direct from Governor Schwarzenegger.

Photo below is of Jane Fonda at the season opening of the Metropolitan Opera on 9/22/08. Credit: PRPhotos.