The people and groups who are honored have all improved , wages, and over-all quality of life for American workers. The Hall of Honor (first called the Hall of Fame) was first planned during the John F. Kennedy administration in 1962. The hall was actually started in 1988. The people to be given this honor are selected each year by a panel inside the Department of Labor. Each must have made a major contribution and the award is given posthumously (after they have died).