IU to dedicate new sculpture to Herman B Wells

Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research Web Page

Oct. 16, 2000

NOTE: Photographs and more information about the Wells sculpture are available on a special Web site at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/OCM/wells.htm. Digital images suitable for publication also are available at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/OCM/wellsphotos/index.html. For more information, contact the IU Office of Communications and Marketing at 812-855-3911.

BLOOMINGTON -- To many people, Herman B Wells was an icon for Indiana University. Wells' association with the Big Ten institution spanned eight decades, dating from when he was a student to his death earlier this year.

A new, life-sized sculpture of Wells being dedicated during IU Bloomington's Homecoming weekend will help the beloved former president and chancellor live on for generations in the hearts and minds of IU alumni, students and friends.

The sculpture and the plaza in which it rests will be dedicated in a public ceremony on Saturday (Oct. 21) at 9 a.m. Appropriately, the sculpture will be placed near the Rose Well House in the Old Crescent area of the campus.

The dedication ceremony will begin with a prelude by the bells of the Student Building, followed by remarks by IU President Myles Brand; IU Foundation President Curt Simic; Robert F. LeBien, chair of the committee that directed the project; sculptor Tuck Langland; Wells Scholar Angel Cabral; and IU Bloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis. Several IU trustees and other campus administrators are expected to be in attendance as well.

Everyone is invited to attend, although seating will be limited. The event is expected to last 30 minutes, and it will take place rain or shine. No tickets are needed.

Wells, who passed away March 18 at the age of 97, served as IU's acting president in 1937-38, as IU president between 1938 and 1962, and as interim president for three months in 1968. Since 1962, Wells served as the university's chancellor.

As chancellor, Wells remained active on the campus where he resided and was much beloved, frequently attending university events. The sculpture suitably continues his legacy, Brand said.

"While death ends a life, it does not end a relationship. Herman Wells' relationship with IU will remain vital for generations to come. His legacy lives on in countless areas, from the buildings erected during his tenure as president, such as the Auditorium and the Lilly Library, to the first-rate academic programs that he championed," Brand said.

"This statue, fittingly placed in the center of the campus, will serve as a reminder of the fact that Chancellor Wells transformed a small Midwestern college into a major research university of international renown and that he did so without sacrificing the friendly, hometown atmosphere that makes this campus such a special place to be."

Langland, a professor of fine arts at IU South Bend, created a sculpture of Wells that depicts him while he was still in his prime -- in his late 60s or early 70s -- and sitting on an IU park bench, apparently resting after a casual walk through the campus he loved. Wells' right hand is extended, ready to shake hands with anyone who comes by.

"It seemed to me that one way of creating a fitting and lasting tribute to Dr. Wells would be to ensure a representation of his physical presence for all time. Not a statue of a great man on a pedestal above us, but rather a sculptural portrait of Dr. Wells sitting on a park bench among us," LeBien said.

The sculpture depicts Wells sitting with his legs uncrossed, with his left hand holding onto his favorite soft hat. His necktie is loosened and his jacket is unbuttoned. The cufflinks that bear his initials were cast from the originals. A gust of wind has partially flipped his tie and jacket edge, and a handkerchief appears from his breast pocket. He is shown relaxed but engaged, projecting the keen delight he often showed when greeting friends.

"This is a sculptural portrait of Dr. Wells frozen in a given point of time, but still engaging the students, friends and visitors around him," LeBien said. "It shows Dr. Wells as we all knew him -- as one of us."

Work on the sculpture began last fall with the preparation of a clay model. After receiving input from the sculpture committee in February, Langland returned to his Granger, Ind., studio to complete it this spring.

Afterward, the sculpture was cast into bronze by Tallix Inc., a Beacon, N.Y., foundry which also was used for the recently dedicated Korean War Veterans Memorial monument in Washington, D.C.

Funding for the Wells sculpture came from an estate gift of Dr. Virgil T. DeVault, a close and long-time friend of Wells. DeVault, who earned bachelor's and medical degrees from IU, died in May at the age of 98. The DeVault Alumni Center is named in his honor. Funding toward the plaza where the sculpture rests came from the children of Fort Wayne, Ind., residents Richard and Harriet Inskeep, in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Simic recalled Wells' response when the late chancellor was first told about the project.

"In typical fashion, he responded by saying, 'They can certainly find something better to do with the money!'" Simic said. "We convinced him that his likeness situated here would help protect the campus trees for future generations. He responded by saying, 'Good! Now, can we get rid of that bust in front of Kirkwood Hall? I've always feared that I really looked like that!'"

Langland has been teaching at IU South Bend since 1971. His sculptures are housed in eight museums and nationally known collections, including the Smithsonian Collection, the Midwest Museum of American Art and the Lincoln National Collection. His work also is on display in parks and other public locations nationwide, from Washington, D.C., to Honolulu, Hawaii.

He was selected after a national search and after two organizations -- the National Sculpture Society and the National Sculptors Guild -- each recommended Langland as their top choice.

The sculptor recognizes that the Wells sculpture may be his most remembered work. "This will really be the only memorial on campus," he said. "Herman is the only person from the entire history of Indiana University who is memorialized, at least to date. In that regard, it will be, in many ways, the focal sculpture on the campus."

(George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)