Dean James Wood Green Memorial, Daniel Chester French; Anton Kunst Foundry

Should this sculpture be here or somewhere else? Created by the same artist who sculpted the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, this work was commissioned to honor the first dean of the Law School, formerly located in Lippincott Hall, the building behind this sculpture. When Green Hall was built, the Law School wanted to take the sculpture with them to their new location. But, their request was denied because Lippincott Hall is on the National Register of Historic Buildings and the sculpture goes with the building-not what’s in it. The two figures are James Wood Green (on the right) and Alfred Alford (on the left). Alford was the first KU student killed in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Interestingly, the artist, Daniel Chester French, initially declined the commission, but agreed to create the sculpture after a visit to Lawrence where he was inundated with expressions of esteem and affection for Green. French reportedly said he had “never seen such a love for a man -unless it be the case of Abraham Lincoln.” There are other sculptures on campus that act as memorials to people or ideas. For instance, look for the statue of Phog Allen in front of Allen Fieldhouse or the Korean Cranes Rising on Memorial Drive that honors those who served in the Korean War.

When you first glance at the Uncle Jimmy Green statue in front of Lippincott Hall, you may see it as the center of campus, or you could envision it as much more. It embodies Mr. James Wood Green, the first dean of Law at Kansas University. The statue, constructed of bronze, sitting on a granite pedestal, shows the dean conversing with a student, placing his hand on the student’s shoulder. He seems to be in a mentor position. You see that the student looks up to him, being able to look up to someone and realizing you can learn from other people’s experiences is extremely important. If you believe you are the center of the universe and already know everything there is know, you can never grow. When you have a mentor, you strive to raise yourself to their level of excellency. This can strengthen your ability to change and adapt to new situations. Although the mentor-ship depicted appears to be academic, you can look up to someone based on endless skills. My mother is the most impactful mentor for me, she teaches me to carry good morals and to bring out the best in myself. I strive to be as caring and forgiving as she is every day. As I follow in her footsteps, not only do I acquire her admirable traits, I gather unique characteristics of my own. Your surroundings mold you into the person you are, so choose to surround yourself with people who obtain great, sought-after qualities and pursue them so that you can become a mentor, yourself. This has been Katie Allen with another Bulldog podcast.

At first glance, the Uncle Jimmy Green Memorial on the KU campus looks simply like a teacher and his student. But the statues are not just this, but two people who were, and still are admired and deeply cared for. Forty-one years at Kansas University brought adoration and love for Dean of Law James Wood Green - the man this statue honors. His compassionate personality and caring demeanor inspired many students- so much that he changed the way they saw the world. Daniel Chester French created a statue in honor of the beloved dean, and for remembrance of the students who died in the Spanish- American War. Lieutenant Alfred C. Alford was a graduate from the University of Kansas who was killed in the Philippines during the war. I believe that French chose to sculpt Alford beside Green because of what the connection symbolizes. In my opinion, the artist sculpted James Green with his arm around Alford C. Alford to portray the love and affection the students all shared for “Uncle Jimmy”, and to honor the deaths in the war. The known bond between a teacher and a student is the bond between friends, and this memorial depicts it perfectly through the care shown in Uncle Jimmy’s features. He is sculpted in a way that could be interpreted as him helping the student standing beside him. James Green assisted many people throughout his teaching career, and also outside of it. He was not only a wonderful teacher, but also a mentor for his students. For me, this piece of art brings the thought of a life surrounded with close friends and acquaintances who work for their goals, and who touch people with kindness and love along the way. Living such a life leads to happiness, and ultimately contentment. Through this sculpture, the artist not only honored Mr. James Green, but also spread the importance of kindness and compassion. Uncle Jimmy was rewarded with love for being the kind, humble man that he was. I believe that if we saw the world with the same viewpoint that James Green had, our everyday lives would be more pleasant and enjoyable. To me, the sculpture proved that life is better lived when seen with love and optimism. This has been Ashton with another Bulldog Podcast.

Daniel Chester French is one of the most prominent and acclaimed sculptors of his era, creating well-known works such as the statue of John Harvard and the seated statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Most regard him as the greatest American sculptor ever. His work, the Dean James Wood Green Memorial, was unveiled in front of Lippincott Hall in 1924. This statue has two figures, the dean and a student. While the student’s stance and demeanor implies the role reception of knowledge plays in high-level education, the dean himself is more complicated, with a slight lean, which just as easily screams scolding as it does a paternal, comforting talk. I think this talk is certainly symbolic of the generational information transfer that occurs in colleges and universities, and to an extent in high schools. I certainly can connect to this statue as I plan to matriculate at several colleges after high school, most likely to obtain a Doctor of Medicine degree. Furthermore, I’ve grown up around high-level education all my life, with my parents being college professors and my grandfather a surgeon. Although the fancy clothes and young looks and big books and high boots indicate amateurism in the student, a sure fact of life and a stage in which we all have or will go through, the artist gives the impression that just a small conversation with the dean would change it all into a stout look of professionalism similar to that of the dean himself. The attire that French dressed the dean in is similar to that of a today’s 3-piece, and by downgrading that to an unbuttoned coat with a small peek that warrants a tie, I think the artist wanted to example the restrictions sometimes imposed upon great and influential minds and the role this may play in restricting learning. This is Elliott Whisenant signing off on another Bulldog Podcast.

Few know about “Uncle Jimmy Green”, a statue which lies at the center of the Kansas University campus. The bronze statue sits upon a granite plinth in front of Lippincott Hall, formerly known as Green Hall. James Green was the first Dean of the School of Law at KU from 1889 until his death in 1919. After Green died, a group of K.U. alumni commissioned artist Daniel Chester French to build a statue in James Green’s honor and memory. Daniel French had already created the iconic statue of Abraham Lincoln in 1920, well known as the centerpiece of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1924, he finished “Uncle Jimmy Green”. In my opinion “Uncle Jimmy Green” captures the popularity of Dean Green within the student body. The statue juxtaposes teacher and student together in an obvious learning moment. With a hand on his pupil’s shoulder, it could also represent how Mr. Green was involved with teaching his students. On a more personal level “Uncle Jimmy Green” reminds me of the late 2000s, when my Mother worked at KU and she had an office at Lippincott Hall. About every week, I would be with my Mother, for she had work to do there. While passing by, I would gaze at that statue, and as a result I have become intimately familiarized with it. Whenever I think “statue”, “Uncle Jimmy Green” comes to mind. What does this distinct statue mean to you? This was Kirk Geery-Weis with another Bulldog Podcast.

Imagine you are walking on Jayhawk Boulevard and you stop in front of Lippincott Hall at the University of Kansas. In front of this building you see two men that seem like they are having a normal day to day conversation but are frozen in time. These two men are made of bronze and they are standing on a marble plinth. The name of this work of art is Uncle Jimmy Green by Daniel Chester French. French is notoriously known for his design of the Abraham Lincoln statue in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Uncle Jimmy Green statue is dedicated to James Wood Green, who was the first dean of the praxis of the law from 1878 to 1919. This statue’s creation process started in 1920, Green had died the previous year. It was finally unveiled on June 10, 1924 in front of Lippincott Hall, which was originally the school of law. On the left of Green is Alfred C. Alfred, he was the first graduate who matriculated at University of Kansas. It shows that Alfred enjoyed to cerebrate because he is holding multiple books in his hand. He was chosen to be in this statute because he had passed away during the Spanish American War in battle. In this piece, James has his hand on Alfred’s lower back, you could interpret this as Green praising Alfred for his accomplishments at the University or for his bravery in the War. The tone and mood of this piece shows that Green was probably well-liked by his students. I chose this piece because I was interested in who the men on the pedestal were, and why they were important. This statue shows me that they were well respected and honored men at the University of Kansas. This has been Sejal Thapa with another bulldog podcast.