Front view of the Alma Mater statue

Alma Mater

The Alma Mater is a bronze statue located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The long flowerbed stretching from the front of the Alma Mater to the corner of Green Street and Wright Street is known as the Alma Mater Plaza. There are two inscriptions in granite, that read "To thy happy children of the future, those of the past send greetings" and "Her children arise up and call her Blessed" Proverbs 31-28.

[edit] History

Conceived in 1922, the Alma Mater was cast in 1929 by the American Art Bronze Foundry and paid for by donations by the Alumni Fund and the classes of 1923-1929. The statue was designed by sculptor Lorado Taft, a university graduate.^[1]

The statue was originally located behind the Foelinger Auditorium. On August 22, 1962, the Alumni Association moved the sculpture to its present location in front of the Altgeld Hall.

[edit] Symbol

Along with Chief Illiniwek, the Alma Mater has been a symbol for the University. The statue is featured on the new i-Card (starting 2007), the official university identification card for the Urbana-Champaign campus.

In 2005, during the Final Four, the Alma Mater sported an Illini jersey.

In 2007, the Alma Mater was decorated with a variety of red, orange, and blue roses to signify the Illinois football team's Rose Bowl appearance.

[edit] See also

• Chief Illiniwek - longtime University of Illinois symbol (discontinued in 2007)
• UIUC Main Campus

[edit] References

Coordinates: 40°06′36″N 88°13′42″W / 40.1099°N 88.2284°W / 40.1099; -88.2284

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