International Towing Hall of Fame & Museum News

The New Hall Of Famers: Seven outstanding industry leaders have been inducted into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame as the Class of 2007.
Richard D. Bays, Jr. (Watsonville, California), John E. Chambers (Orangeville, Ontario, Canada), Harriet S. Cooley (Bethesda, Maryland), Richard A. Frasier (Hague, New York), Pat Herring (Somerset, Pennsylvania), Randy Olson (Chattanooga, Tennessee), and Joseph Pedigo (Normal, Illinois) were nominated by members of the International Hall of Fame and Museum for their many contributions to the towing and recovery industry, their families and their communities.
The Hall of Fame members were recognized at an induction ceremony held September 14^th, 2007 at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. With the closing of the 2007 Class Induction, the International Towing & Recovery Museum is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2008. Please find the nomination form on the museum’s Web site at www.internationaltowingmuseum.org.

For additional information about the inductees, or a photograph of the Class of 2007, call Cheryl Mish at the Museum.

At the Wall of the Fallen in Chattanooga.
Photo by Al Gregg of Dakota Service & Repair.

The Wall: First Names -The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum has officially unveiled the first addition of names on the “Wall of the Fallen” Memorial Wall that was originally dedicated on September 9th, 2006. The complete list of names is in the November issue of Footnotes.At a memorable and emotional ceremony, 94 names were unveiled on bronze nameplates as hundreds of people watched. The Flag Truck also unfurled for the first time the office flag of the U.S. Department of Transportation in a fitting tribute to our fallen towing operators.
This ceremony was the first annual name unveiling and will continue to be held every year in the City of Chattanooga on the 3rd Saturday in September.
Here's a story about the late Bill Garrett, owner and operator of Garrett Wrecker in Checotah, OK who was one of the fallen honored on the wall.

Here's a video story by WDEF News 12 about the ceremony.

And an additional story about a VA tow truck driver John Drees whose name is now on the Wall.

The Fund: First Donation -The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund recently released the first donation of $1,000 to a towing operator’s family. The Fund was established in November 2005 by the Board of Directors with help from many volunteers.

Survivor Fund money is available to any family that loses a towing operator in the line of service as long as it is applied for within 90 days from the date of death. Money can be applied for with the necessary pertinent information such as a death certificate and police report of the accident. All money must be applied for by an immediate family member (ie. Mother, father, brother, sister, etc.).

For more information about the Survivor Fund including the mission statement and an application, visit www.thesurvivorfund.com.

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, the world’s only Industry museum, opened September 22, 1995. The museum houses 17 antique tow trucks along with industry displays and memorabilia. The museum is located in Chattanooga , Tennessee , home to the Ernest Holmes manufacturing company, the first U.S. manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment. For additional information, call (423) 267-3132.