A Baseball Hall of Famer in considered a member of the Hall on his or her election date. The induction is the official celebration of this honor.
The first induction recognized the 25 members elected from 1936 to 1939. The original plan was to hold an induction every 3 years. World War II interrupted all induction ceremonies until 1946 when inductions were planned on an annual basis.
There were no inductions in 1948, 1950, 1958, 1960 and 2020.
No one was voted into the Hall in 1950, 1958, 1960 and 2021.
The classes elected in 1946, 1948, 1953 (only the veterans) and 2020 were inducted the following year.
In 1990, the induction was held the next day (and in the Cooperstown Central School auditorium) due to torrential rain.
Lou Gehrig (39), Rogers Hornsby (42) and the 10 electees from 1945 were not recognized until the 2013 induction.
The inductions from 1939-1965 were held in front of the Baseball Hall of Fame on Main Street in Cooperstown.
The 1966 – 1991 inductions were held in Cooper Park in front of the new Hall of Fame Library.
From 1992 to the present, the induction ceremonies have been held at the Clark Sports Center, 1 mile from the Hall of Fame, to accommodate the larger crowds.
