John Howard statue
The John Howard statue is a statue of John Howard, an 18th century English prison reformer located in the lobby of Brooks Hall on the campus of Samford University. The statue was dedicated on February 13, 2016. It is a replica of the 1795 statue of Howard by John Bacon located in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. Samford University was initially named Howard College in honor of John Howard when it was founded in 1841. The Howard College of Arts and Sciences retains the university's original name and is the central unit of Samford's ten schools.
The replica in Brooks Hall was based on photographs taken of the London statue by Antonia Reeve and was created by Ancient Sculpture Gallery.
Howard College dean David Chapman led the effort to create the Samford statue. Todd Crider and his family were the major donors to the project.
The prayer at the dedication was offered by the Reverend Thomas Joyner of Birmingham Episcopal Campus Ministries.
References
- Flynt, Sean (February 1, 2016) "Samford to Dedicate Statue to John Howard Feb. 13" Samford University press release.
- Flynt, Sean (February 16, 2016) "The Prisoner’s Friend Statue Finds a New Home at Samford" Samford University press release.
- Davis, Marley (Feburary 19, 2016) "A New Man in Town" A New Man in Town: The History of Samford University