With there recent controversies regarding MLB players being elected to MLB's hall of fame (steroids), I am curious about the development of halls of fame in US professional sports.

• What were the historical developments that led to housing such memories?

• What theories of history and collecting memories informed the decision to build halls of fame?

• What was their original purpose(s) and has this changed?

• Does the reasoning to build a hall of fame differ amongst the various professional sports?

I am particularly interested in an archivist or curator's understanding of the role of halls of fame.