The Student Association will commemorate the works of alumnus “Sonny” Montgomery with a statue created in his honor.
Senior class President Anna Wilds said that although plans have not been finalized, the statue is scheduled to be completed by Homecoming 2004 during October in a park between Allen and McCool halls. The statue will be part of the senior class gift to the university.
“Nothing is finalized, but for now, that’s where the statue is planned to go,” Wilds said. “These plans are tentative.”
SA President Josh Blades said the project began in September. The SA is still in the process of raising funds, but Blades said he feels “real good about how it’s going.”
Montgomery served as SA president during his senior year. After graduation Montgomery entered the military and fought in World War II, where he earned numerous honors.
Montgomery represented Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District for 30 years. He fought seven years for the passage of the Montgomery GI Bill, which pays for students to attend college if they join the army.
“He has been really involved in MSU, so we decided to build a statue for him,” said Brian Freedman, co-supervisor of the project.
SA Sen. Edward Sanders is also supervising the project.
In order to help raise the necessary funds, a fund-raiser will be help at some point this semester, Freedman said. Every donor who contributes $2,500 to the project will have his or her name placed on the statue.
“We would love to have the student body’s name on the statue,” Blades said.
Blades and other members of the SA hope to raise at least $2,500 from the students for this reason. Blades added that for every one dollar up to $1,500 raised by the students, the SA would match that dollar.
Work on the statue, which is being designed by sculptor Tracey Scugg out of Jackson, is already under way.
Wilds enlisted landscape architecture students to develop plans for the park that will house the statue of Montgomery.
Prospective designs call for a brick walkway with periodic benches for students to sit and enjoy the Drill Field. Plans also call for plaques highlighting Montgomery’s accomplishments to be interspersed with the bricks.
Blades said the park might also feature a memorial to Old Main, the first dormitory on campus, which was destroyed by fire in January 1959.
“A replica of the front entrance would be built and placed in the park acting as a gateway to campus,” Blades said.