George Littlefield commissioned Pompeo Coppini to create a statue of President Woodrow Wilson to be installed on the grounds on the University of Texas. Dedicated in 1933, the statue stood on the South Mall, next to a statue of Jefferson Davis until 2015, when, by orders from UT President Gregory Fenves, both statues were moved to the Briscoe Center for American History. There, the statues will serve educational purposes.
Statue Description
Located merely meters from the iconic Tower and Main Building until 2015, the bronze Woodrow Wilson statue stands 9 feet tall. The statue's podium reads:
Wilson, Littlefield, and Coppini
Unlike Jefferson Davis, who passed away in 1889, Woodrow Wilson was alive--and serving as president--during the time that George Littlefield and sculptor Pompeo Coppini were negotiating details for the memorial on the UT campus. This meant that Wilson could be consulted to create a more accurate and detailed statue.
Interestingly, Wilson did not encourage the creation of this statue. While he did not stop its creation, he did not provide Coppini with a suit, pair of shoes, or headshots, as Coppini requested.
Click here to read more about Littlefield's life.
Archival Materials
