Celebrating 150: Joseph Baldwin Memorial

The statue of Joseph Baldwin that stands near the south end of the Quad was erected in honor of the University founder’s 100th birthday, Oct. 31, 1927. The total $6,000 cost of the project was funded by donations from students, faculty, staff, alumni and the citizens of Kirksville.

Standing 7 feet tall and mounted on a 5 feet high granite pedestal, the site selected for the statue represented a joining of the old and the new. It was placed at the point where the southern end of the old bridge across Normal Pond had been located and was just north of the east-west sidewalk between the two newest buildings, Pickler Memorial Library and Kirk Auditorium. The sculptor suggested that the statue face south to get the best effect from the sun’s light. Though it was not the primary consideration, the fact Baldwin is standing near and facing the site of his old Normal School building is an added sentimental bonus.

More information about the Joseph Baldwin statue is available from the University’s Special Collections Archives.