NIU receives bust of King

By Ray McDermott

A new bust has joined the Martin Luther King Jr. sculpture in the King Memorial Commons to honor King and his message of racial equality.

Eddie Williams, vice president of Finance and Planning, said the bust fulfills the wishes of students who wanted to have a monument that would provide a visible representation of King on campus.

Some students preferred a figurative symbol to the 17-foot abstract representation that stands in the commons.

Williams said he hopes people will respect the work as a symbol of the important messages King represented. Some people might not agree with King, but they should at least respect the message and the memorial, he said.

“I think that the combination represents an image of the messenger and an image of his message,” he said. “Both are important, and Northern has made a great statement in recognizing this fact.”

Also, Williams said he hopes there will be no vandalism to the monument.

NIU conducted a fundraising campaign in 1991 to gather donations from the alumni foundation and students to fund the bust. No state funds were used to purchase the bust, Williams said.

NIU wanted to select a sculpture that would best represent the message of King. When the opportunity to receive a bust from artist Peter Fagan arose, NIU seized it.

A memorial plaque is expected to be put up sometime soon at the base of the monument.

“I think that the combination represents an image of the messenger and an image of his message,” he said. “Both are important, and Northern has made a great statement in recognizing this fact.”

Also, Williams said he hopes there will be no vandalism to the monument.

NIU conducted a fundraising campaign in 1991 to gather donations from the alumni foundation and students to fund the bust. No state funds were used to purchase the bust, Williams said.

NIU wanted to select a sculpture that would best represent the message of King. When the oppurtunity to receive a bust from artist Peter Fagan arose, NIU seized it.

A memorial plaque is expected to be put up sometime soon at the base of the monument.