(James Kennedy Patterson), (sculpture).

(James Kennedy Patterson), (sculpture).

Lukeman, Augustus, 1871-1935, sculptor.

Gorham Manufacturing Company, founder.

(James Kennedy Patterson), (sculpture).

Early 1930s. Dedicated June 1, 1934. Relocated 1968 or April 1969.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: concrete.

Sculpture: approx. 70 in. x 4 ft. x 64 in.; Base: approx. 25 in. x 51 in. x 87 1/2 in.

(Proper left bottom of sculpture:) Augustus Lukeman s. (Proper right bottom of sculpture:) Gorham Co. Founders (On plaque on front of base:) James Kennedy Patterson/University President 1869-1910/He saved the seed for/the next generation/Statue by Augustus Lukeman/Erected nearby 1934/Relocated here 1968 signed Founder's mark appears.

A seated James Kennedy Patterson, balding with a beard and mustache, wears a heavy robe and grasps a cane in his proper left hand. He holds a sheaf of papers in his proper right hand, which rests on the arm of a throne-like chair. A crutch is resting under folds of fabric on his proper left side. The Kentucky seal is centered on the back of the chair. The sculpture is mounted atop a rectangular base with sloping sides. It sits within a raised flower bed on a platform with sloping sides.

Portrait male -- Patterson, James Kennedy

Occupation -- Education -- University President

Occupation -- Education -- Principal

Occupation -- Education -- Teacher

Dress -- Ceremonial -- Academic Dress

State of Being -- Disabled -- Physical Disability

Dress -- Accessory -- Cane

Object -- Written Matter

Object -- Furniture -- Chair

Outdoor Sculpture -- Kentucky -- Lexington

Administered by University of Kentucky, Administration, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

Located University of Kentucky, In plaza near Administration Building, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

The sculpture honors James Kennedy Patterson, "grand old man" of the University of Kentucky, who served as the University's third president from 1869 to 1910. Born in Glasgow (Scotland), Patterson overcame a crippling accident at an early age which left him with a withered leg. His family moved to America in 1842, and in 1866 he became the University's (then known as the Agricultural & Mechanical College) first history professor. The sculpture was erected 12 years after Patterson's death in 1931 and cost approximately $20,000. It was financed through private funds, including a $1,000 bequest by Patterson and a $5,000 bequest by his brother, Professor Walter Patterson.

The sculpture was originally mounted on a tall marble base and located in a quadrangle at the rear of the Administration building. It was flanked by a tile pavilion and surrounded on three sides by a low marble wall. In 1967 the sculpture was removed to make way for construction. The sculpture was relocated to its present location in either 1968 or April 1969. IAS files contain an article from the Herald-Leader (Lexington, KY), Jan. 9, 1955, pg. 1-15, showing the sculpture on its original base; and Herald-Leader, Feb. 1, 1970, A-8, A-9.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Kentucky survey, 1995.

Lexington Herald Leader, Feb. 1, 1970, pg. A-8.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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