Beneficence
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| Ball State University campus | |
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| Beneficence | |
| Use | Statue |
| Style | Memorial |
| Erected | 1937 |
| Location | Old Quad |
| Coordinates: | |
| Architect | Daniel Chester French |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Website | Beneficence |
Beneficence is a bronze statue on the campus of Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana. It is referred to as "Benny" by the students.
In 1930, a small group of men decided to establish a permanent symbol of Muncie and Ball State University's gratitude for the Ball family's extensive generosity.
This group commissioned renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French, who sculpted the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., and named it Beneficence which he felt aptly described the feelings of the community and the actions of the Ball brothers. Finally erected in the midst of the Great Depression, Beneficence has become a chief icon of the University, and it symbolizes the selflessness of the Ball family in their affection for the community.
Beneficence has a sister statue located in the Boston Gardens Park in Boston, Massachusetts, which holds a dish instead of a box.
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] External links
- Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository: Campus Photograph Collection Historic photographs of Ball State campus including Beneficence sculpture
- Benny's Story: A History of Beneficence, Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Exhibit on the history of the Beneficence sculpture
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