Walter L. Bassett Inducted March 15, 1996 Walter L. Bassett played a major role in Pueblo's economic turnaround by being a key player on the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation recruiting team that brought thousands of jobs to Pueblo at a time when they were badly needed due to a downturn in the local steel industry.  Bassett was a tireless recuriter, donating about 2,000 personal hours per year to economic development activities.  He also used his expertise and contacts as a general contractor to help attract first Sperry Corporation and then other companies to expand or relocate here.  He often used his own funds to hire consultants specializing in corporate development to ensure that the best presentation was made to potential recruits.  As partial reward for his efforts, the City of Pueblo honord him by naming one of the major thoroughfares at the Airport Industrial Park "Walt Bassett Boulevard."

Melvin L. Harmon Inducted March 15, 1996 It's doubtful that anyone has been more instrumental in changing the current image of Pueblo than Melvin L. Harmon.  At a time when Pueblo's reputation around the state was negative, Mel headed the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce's Centennial/Bicentennial Committee that promoted the positive aspects of the city and encouraged Puebloans to show off their community.  He co-chaired a newly formed group called Discover Pueblo that helped create a new Pueblo logo, institute an I-25 beautification project, foster festivals and cultural activities, create Wake Up With Pueblo community breakfasts and Festival Fridays, and form the union Avenue Merchants Associations.  The community pride he helped instill caused several industries to expand or relocate to Pueblo and started the city's economic turnaround in the late 1980's.

Alva C. Jones Inducted May 9, 1997 After moving to Pueblo in 1921, Alva C. Jones made a significant impact on the Pueblo community with his business success, but even more so with his humanitarian activities.  In 1923 he founded Jones Mortuary, which continues to operate today in a state-of-the-art building he designed and located in the 1100 block of East Evans.  Alva was dedicated to serving others and helping them to become successful.  He built affordable low-income housing, opened his own home for charitable fund-raising events, helped minorities gain employment commensurate with their education, established the Jones Scholarship Fund to help youths further their education, prepared tax returns for needy people, and sponsored athletic teams in Pueblo for close to 40 years.  Although Jones sold his business and retired in 1968, the impact he made on thousands of Puebloans will long be remembered.

Dr. Robert C. Shirley Inducted May 9, 1997 Bob Shirley turned around a declining University of Southern Colorado and streamlined its educational and athletic focuses, eliminating both weak academic programs and unprofitable sports.  He helped make USC a regional school.  Significantly, Shirley persuaded state officials to allow USC to use the money saved through these reductions to institute a merit pay system to attract top professors to USC, develop master's programs to meet the needs of business and industry in the region, and purchase laboratory equipment and other classroom items.  Shirley also was a key recruiter for the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation, led a USC Foundation drive that raised $25.9 million in a decade, and was the vision behind the development of the Walking Stick Golf Course and its surrounding housing development.  Money from the sale of land around USC for that project has gone into USC's endowment. He was also the driving force behind the development of the Educational Alliance between USC and Pueblo School District #60, and he was the catalyst for USC taking over the operations of the Pueblo Greenway and Nature Center and the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra.