Jane Addams statue unveiled
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Humanitarian Jane Addams is honored by a statue (in background) in the Peace Garden. Social work professor Sudarshan Kapoor attended the event. |
By Morgan Steger
The Collegian
Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Peace Garden Thursday to witness the unveiling of the first statue dedicated to a woman of peace, Jane Addams.
The bronze statue depicts Addams, a tireless champion of women, immigrants and the poor, holding up a child, who in turn lifts up a glass globe.
The statue was designed by Claudia Nolan, a Fresno State graduate student, who included many quotes of Addams into the sculpture’s base to convey Addam’s accomplishments, intellect and spirit, she said.
“She had so many things to say that are worth listening to,” Nolan said.
The entire time she was working on the statue, from April 2004 until March 2006, Nolan said she was thinking about what the statue of Addams would look like in the Peace Garden and eagerly awaiting its debut. “She belongs here,” Nolan said.
Fresno State President John Welty, who helped unveil the statue, said he was pleased with the selection of Addams.
“She is a model for all of us,” he said. “Her statue recognizes the important role that women have played in seeking peace in our world.”
During her lifetime, from 1860-1935, Addams created a settlement house for Chicago immigrants, the Hull House, founded the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and was the first female recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
It took three years and close to $100,000 to traverse the path from the idea for the statue to its unveiling, said Jeannie Raymond, Chair of the Peace Garden Committee.
Upon seeing the completed statue gracing the Peace Garden, Raymond said she was delighted with both the choice of Addams and Nolan’s artistic work.
“There is no question in my mind, Jane Addams is the perfect person for this garden,” she said. “The statue is phenomenal. It is everything I wanted it to be and more.”
Fresno State student Kelsey Faria surveyed the statue and said she was pleased to see a woman depicted along with the statues of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatmas K. Gandhi, and Cesar Chavez.
“It shows that not only men can do things,” she said. “I think it’s beautiful.”
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