Electric Utility Operations

International Lineman's Museum Announces 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees

Feb. 15, 2019

The International Lineman's Hall of Fame will honor its new inductees at the Public Lineworker's Rodeo banquet on March 30, 2019.

Amy Fischbach

Since 2006, the International Lineman's Museum has inducted members into the Hall of Fame for making notable contributions to the line trade. For 2018, the following inductees will be honored at the American Public Power Association (APPA) Public Lineworker's Rodeo banquet on March 30, 2019, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Alan Katz
Ed Kearney
Jon Beasley
Jody Shea
J.D. Thompson

According to the Lineman's Museum, each of these five linemen is a hero and leader and deseving of being recognized. For example, J.D. Thompson is being honored for saving the life of his coworker who was electrocuted while working on a pole in 1967. A photographer captured the moment, and his photo, titled "Kiss of Life," won a Pulitzer Prize for spot photography. To see a photo gallery of J.D. Thompson visiting the museum for the first time, visit the Web site for the Shelby, North Carolina-based international Lineman's Museum. You can also follow the museum's Instagram page, which is dedicated to preserving the history of the line trade and the electric utility industry.

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].