To my knowledge, they've never made the criteria public. In the end, it all depends on what the members of the committee that make the decision . . . decide. Looking for consistency brings no answers, or at least none that I can see, although it certainly seems that the greater the fame of the deceased person, the more likely it is that the lights will be dimmed.
Several years ago, I emailed Charlotte St. Martin, who did respond, and we exchanged several emails on the subject. (She is no longer the president of the league.) It was nice that she responded, but she shed little light on the decision-making process beyond admitting that it was based somewhat on the personal relationships members of the committee may have had with the deceased and that a decision had been made to reduce the number of dimmings. That, of course, may have changed. |