OUR FAMOUS MONUMENTS and
                           OUR COMMEMORATIVE SCULPTURE

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
       The Statue of Liberty may never have been funded if the newspaper owner, William Randolph Hearst, had not focused the effort by soliciting contributions through his newspapers.
        Many of the French populace considered the Eiffel Tower an ugly eye sore and wanted it torn down.
       What is it about monuments and most memorial sculpture that sparks controversy?

       The Jefferson Memorial seemed doomed because it would require a few Cherry trees to be removed.  FDR finally pushed through the funding to add it to the Washington Tidal Basin.

EDITORIAL
Preserving our Heritage
                                 By Michael Don Fess

      Many people have made major contributions to the world in which we live . . . unfortunately, they are no longer remembered by most of the populace.
      Every city around the world had key citizens in its history whose efforts made a difference in our way of life . . . those things we take for granted.
      Sadly, we see entire generations growing up with little or no knowledge of the men and women who helped enrich their lives.

Preservation also affects families . . .
      Families become separated or they are living apart through work or war. Circumstances sometimes guarantee that later generations never get to know their roots.
     The current high divorce rate and the large number of single parents also takes its toll on the family foundation structure in our society.
      Gone are the customs of yesteryear where families gathered around the home place and the older members remained as part of the family.

We all need Roots !
      Our monuments and memorials instill pride, give us a sense of belonging, and are fundamental building blocks for our lives.
      A "sense of where we came from" is basic to expanding our base of knowledge and the learning process in which we all participate.

Public sculpture is one solution !
      Families of men and women who made a difference in our lives should consider funding memorial sculpture commemorating the person and the event or action that took place.
      University campus locations are prime places to install such commemorative pieces, . . . after all, recognition of significant historical information is what most of these learning centers are all about.

Too many monuments to war !
       We spend entirely too much of our resources on war, then we spend a lot more commemorating those wars.
       Service organization and historical societies should also take up the cause for creating icons of constructive events and accomplishments.

Creating good is happiness !
      The thrill of creating commemorative pieces involves learning about wonderful people.  To learn about them is to appreciate all they accomplished.

My definition of happiness:
       It is "the process of building fond memories !"    The creation of icons to commemorate people and their accomplishments is very satisfying . . . food for the soul.

VISIT MICHAEL'S WEBSITE        Read his INTERVIEW !   

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       The Washington monument sat for nearly twenty-five years following 1854 as a 152' tall stump.  Casual observers would never know that one of our nations most recognizable icons was mired in controversy.
       The walls are 15' thick at the bottom and taper up to 18" thick at the 500' level.  When completed in 1884, it was the world's largest building.  It is still the largest free-standing stone structure in the world.
       The entire structure is getting a $9.4 million renovation which should be finished in the spring of 2000.  There are some 36,000 stones in the monument and every one will get inspected and repaired if needed.
In New York . . .
       The lions outside the New York Public Library were even controversial in the early 1900's.   Teddy Roosevelt wanted elk or moose and another group lobbied for beavers.
       When an emotional memory is memorialized, it seems everybody is an artist.
       The winning design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was called the "black gash" by critics.  Opponents included Texas billionaire, Ross Perot.  It is now the most visited monument in the U.S.
       The FDR Memorial covers 7½ acres and has cost nearly $50 million. Its critics succeeded in getting rid of his cigarette holder and his wheelchair as George Bush convinced congress to allocate funds for completion.