Brochure regarding the Henry Hardin Cherry bronze statue, includes the story of the statue, statue committee members and biography of Henry Cherry by A.L. Crabb

Western Kentucky University

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Western Kentucky UniversityTopSCHOLAR®WKU Archives Records WKU Archives1-1-1952UA3/3/1 Henry Hardin Cherry StatueWestern Kentucky UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_recordsPart of the Art and Design CommonsThis Other is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by anauthorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact connie.foster@wku.edu.Recommended CitationWestern Kentucky University, "UA3/3/1 Henry Hardin Cherry Statue" (1952). WKU Archives Records. Paper 1760.http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/1760HENRY HARDIN CHERRY November 16, 1864-August I, 1937 Unveiled November 16, 1937 , THE STORY OF THE ORIGIN AND ERECTION OF THE STATUE TO THE LATE PRESIDENT H. H. CHERRY ON THE CAMPUS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE, BOWL-ING GREEN, KENTUCKY "Western does not consist of the campus and build-ings. Beautiful as they are, they are dead things. 'That other thing' in the lives and hearts of the faculty, stu-dents, and alumni makes Western the great institution that it is," said President H. H. Cherry. The idea of having a bronze statue of Pre sid e n t Cherry did not originate on the campus, but in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1926 an alumnus of Western heard a lec-ture given by Lor ado Taft, an internationally known sculptor. The next morning, on entering the campus of Vanderbilt University, this alumnus stopped to observe a b ron z e statue of "Commodore" Corneliu Vanderbilt placed there in honor of the founder of that great institu-tion. Immediately the thought came to him : "If this could be done for Mr. Vanderbilt, why could not the same be done for President Cherry, the founder of Western?" On January 6, 1929, a letter was written to Mr. Taft, who had lectured at Western and had become a friend of President Cherry. The sculptor was asked whether he would undertake the work and if so, what the financial obligation would be. A g r 0 up of President Cherry's friends worked for three years without his knowledge. D uri n g the time further advice was obtained from Mr. Taft, and also from Mr. Henry Wright, of New York City, landscape architect of Western campus for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Taft was interested in the project from the first, not only because he liked and admired Dr .. Cherry as a person, but also because, according to his statement, carv-ing a s tat u e with a living subject as a model is far superior to working from pictures and descriptions. One morning in the fall of 1931, when Mr. Wright was present, the group thought it would be a good time to ask President Cherry to give his consent to the under-taking. After the proposition had been presented, Presi-dent Cherry, who was never known to retreat. stepped into a corner of his office and sat down. The group wai ted in silence for his final answer. He replied, "I am in the hands of my friends." At the time no organization had been perfected, and the group was without means. These men and women could not ask a great sculptor to work on a twenty-thou-sand-dollar statue without some financial encouragement. Eight members of the faculty contributed $12.50 each, and a check of $100.00 was sent to Mr. Taft in advance of President Cherry's first visit to the studio. President Cherry spent at di.fferent times a total of about thirty days with the sculptor. Mr. Taft's first major interest was manifested when he reduced the price of the original cost from $20,000.00 to $10,000.00. This act was not all the interest shown by Mr. Taft. After he had worked for some time on an eight-foot statue, he tore it down and began another. ten feet in heighth, at an add it ion a I cost to himself of $1,000.00. 1\11'. Taft asked President Chen.\' in what position he \\"oule! lil{e to have his statue carved, The I'eply was, "1 do not kno\\" and will leave that to the sculptor," Mr, Taft. not believing in the gesture type, in ol'der to catch his subject in an easy natural pose, watched President Chenv as he went to and from the studio, He noticed that ?l'esident Chen.\" had a habit of placing his left thumb in his pocket \o\'ith the other foul' fingers exposed, This pose was not Pl'esident Chel'l'Y at his best, many of his fl'iemls thought, but it was a I'elaxed pose which is pel'haps bettel' for a statue. The Len-foot statue was made from a model twenty inches high, but the head was made actual size in clay, The head was done by Ml'. Taft, the rest by his undu-studies, among whom was Miss Mary Webster, who was later pl'esenL at the unveiling of the statue. The statue was finished in clay and accepted by the commitLee in 1934, This was the last majOl' piece of work produced by the gTeat sculptor. MI', 'Vl"igh t, the landscape architect, selected Lhree locat.ion<; :01' the st.atue, One was in front of the Ken-tucl<,\' Building looking towal'd Pl'esident Chen'y's life's work, the Hill Top \"lith many beautiful buildings, An-othel' location was north of the President's home, and east of the Russellville Road looking towal'd the Kent.ucky Building, his best-loved project, and to the sand hills of WaITen County. his birthplace and boyhoo 1 home, The third location was in fl'ont of Chel'l'Y Hall at the t.op of College Stl'eet. Ml', Wl'ight made these selections on his last visit to the campus, President Chenv was shown these locations ami was asked his pl'efel'ence, He I'eplied, "I do not want to locat~ my own statue, 1 have always lived among the cl'owd, and if it were lefl to me Lo decide, 1 would pI'efel' to stand amon!:; the th rong of students as they go to and from ChelT~: Hall." This tl'io of gTeat men passed off the stage of action within a ShOlt time of each other, Henl'Y Wl'ight, the landscape al'tist of College Heights, who l'educed Pl'esi-dent Cheny's dl'eam to blue pI'ints, died July 16. 1936, MI', Taft. who had made more pieces of sculptm'e in the United States at the lime of his death than any other living sculptol', diee! Octobel' 30, 1936, and PI' e s i cl en t Cheny died August I, 1937, Aftel' the death of PI'esident Cheny Lhe committee launched a genel'al campaig:1 fOl' contributions. the limit bein~ $100 ,00, The con tl'i bu lions actuallY mne:eel fl'om $100,00 to one cent contl'ibuLed by the school childl'en in the elementary gTades in many of the l'uI'al schools in Kentucky, The name of each contdbutor was placed in a coppel' box at a regulal' chapel exel'cise, Novembel' 10, 1937, Nine membel's of the faculty who had been con-tinuously in the emplo~'ment of the College fOl' twenty-five yeal's 01' more took P:ll't on the pl'og-ram: Miss Mattie McLean lVTiss Elizabeth Woods, Miss Ella Jeffries, W, J, Craig, R. H, Sewal'd, Franz J, Slt'ahm, R. C, V\Toodwal'd, J, R. Alexander, and A, M, Stickles, The local committee composed of Dl', J, L, Harman, lJl'esident of the Bo\\'lin~' GI'een Univel'sit~', anri GeOl-ge H. Moselev l'aised $3,000,00 within a few days whirh was , ' ('ontl'ibutecl by the citizens of Bowling Gl'een, The re-sponse was so gTatifving that Lhe committee cl3cided the sL~lt\le could be unveiled fl'ee of debt, Novembel' 16, Presi-dent C he l' I' V's birthday, that is, if a five-foot gTanite pedestal could be secm'ed, Then began the task of deciding what should be in-scribed on the pedestal. All the su O" estions offered con-cerning the accomplishments made oy P resident Cherry would have covered the entire base. Now it became a problem of elimination. The question arose of whether to use President Cherry's fa m 0 u s quotation, "Life, More Life," or "No citizen can turn his back upon the school without turning his back upon the flag." The last was selected for one side of the pedestal. On the opposite, the following was cator, Inspirer of Youth, Philosopher." suggested by President Paul L. Garrett. inscribed: "Edu-The second was On the front of the base may be read: "Henry Hardin Cherry, November 16, 1864 - August 1, 1937. Leader of the movement to establish Normal Schools and Teachers Colleges. President Southern Normal School 1892 - 1906. President of Western Kentucky State Teachers College 1906 - 1937." On the back side of the pedestal is found: "Erected by His Students and Friends." The weather on the day of the unveiling was bad. The temperature was around freezing. There was rain, sleet, and snow. Mrs. Cherry, the widow, said, "The day of the unveiling is very appropriate. Mr. Cherry's life was lived in a storm and his statue was unveiled in a storm." The inclement weather did not seem to disturb the crowd who stood quietly under a host of umbrellas honoring the great educator. The statue and pedestal were not only unveiled free of debt, but the committee had $2,300.00 left after all the bills had been paid. Seven hundred dollars was spent for the bronze posts and chain which surround the statue. The committee decided to use $500.00 to h a v e an oil po r t r a it of Dr. Cherry painted. Miss E. Sophonisba Hergerheimer of Nashville, Tennessee, a nationally known artist, was employed to do the work. The painting hangs in the Kentucky Building. The remaining $1,100.00 was placed on interest. The statue attracts visitors, especially art students, from all over the nation. - J. R. Whitmer. November 16, 1951. THE H. H. CHERRY BRONZE STATUE COMMITTEE J. R. WHITMER, Chairman MISS MATTIE McI:EAN, Secretary-Treasurer Dr. M. C. Ford Dr. F. C. Grise W. J. Craig Miss Margie Helm W. L. Matthews Dr. J. L. Harman Kelly Thompson W. M. Pearce L. T. Smith E. H. Canon Dr. A. M. Stickles Miss Florence Schneider Roy Seward George H. Moseley D. West Richards Sterett Cuthbertson BIOGRAPl-IY Hem'y Hardin Chel'ry was born November 16, 1834, nine miles nOlth of Bowling Gl'een, Wal'l'en County, Ken-tucky, Violence was abroad in the land, It Vias on that clay that Shel'man, leading 60,000 men, started on his ter-l'ible mal'ch f1'om Atlanta to the sea, Before the child was a month old those pl'odigali ties in blood, the battles of Fl'anklin and Nashville, had been enacted, This nabl accompaniment of stl'llggle was in great pal't fitly sym-bolic, He lived almost seventy-three yeal's, and n eve r knew any peace, He was a fightel'. Always one fio'ht mOl'e, He was the seven th of nine strong sons, Aftel' he was six he went to school about two months yearly, On Janual'y 22, 1885, he walked to Bowling Gl'een thl'ough eight inches of snow and entered the Southern N01'mal School. Except fol' a bl'ief intel'val his life was spent in the institution fl'om that day on, In 1891 he was made an instructol', in 1892 president, The school then had twenty-eight students, Undel' his dynamic leadel'ship, the en roll-ment rose l'apidly, In Novembel', 1899, the b u i I din g bUl'ned, This cl'isis was the fil'St majol' test of the stuff of which he was made, Not a l'ecitation was missed, a nd within a year a new building was ready, The fine vitality of the school was l'eOl'ganized in 1906 when the legislature by official act transfol'med the Sou thel'n N ol'mal School into the Westel'n Kentucky State NOl'mal School. Sixteen years later, by the same au thol'i ty, the insti tu tion w 3.S given full college l'ating, In 1928 the college was author-ized to offel' graduate COUl'ses and deg'l'ees, In 1933 and 1934 the college was the lal'gest of its kind in the nation, Henry Hal'din Cherl'Y was that kind of builder, He was fol' fOlty-five yeal's an active membel' of the Kentucky Education ASSOCiation, t \V ice its pl'esident, for twenty years a director, He conceived the idea of the Fal'mel'S Chautauqua, and sel'ved as the chairman of the State Speakel's Committee dlll'ing the wal', He "vas the author of two books, OUI' Ci\'ie Imag(' and OUI' GO\'l' l'nm('nts and Edu('ation, tIl(' Basis of DpmoenH'Y, He was mal'l'ied on April 11, 1896, to Bessie Fayne, and they al'e the pal'ents of tl11'ee children, Josephine, Elizabeth, and Hardin, Jr, Henry Hal'din Chel'1'Y died August 1, 1937 died after U11'ee score and twelve yeal's packed 'vvi th achievement, but too soon, So much work yet to do, so many battles to be waged, The thundel' of battle never faded fl'om his ears, and they gTevv' til'ed fl'om the din, He never dl'opped back and mal'ched wi th the rank and file, bu t always ahead, seal'ching out the land, blazing tl 'ails, And his life too 0 f ten was 1 0 n ely and hal'd, as the life of a fl'ontiel'sman always must be, But he set into motion p'eat deeds whose influence shall continue through the yeal's, creative deeds whose end is the human bl'othel'-hood he envisioned, - Dr, A, L. Cmbb, 

UA3/3/1 Henry Hardin Cherry Statue

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UA3/3/1 Henry Hardin Cherry Statue

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