Why I Like the Sondheim Statue

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:41:00 -0500
humility, sondheim

The statue of Walter Sondheim, Jr. on UMBC's main academic corridor is as modest as the man was reputed to be. Even with the extra couple of inches provided by the bronze base it's not particularly tall, as he was not. His pose is not regal: his left hand rests in his pocket, his right points to a nearby bench, and the expression on his face is open and patient rather than commanding.

Academic Row Exterior Sondheim Statue in USA

The benches around the statue are monuments to Sondheim's humility and grace. The quotations inscribed there are plain and direct, and they address simple virtues like honesty and respect for others. If you knew nothing else of the man, you might assume that Sondheim was a beloved teacher or a longtime volunteer.

He was those things, but he also was a businessman, organizer and political leader. As chair of the school board, he led the desegregation of Baltimore's schools; as chair of two urban renewal organizations, he led redevelopment projects that transformed its landscape. This was a mover and a shaker, the kind of person sometimes memorialized in monuments far larger than life (see: Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Washington, DC).

The Sondheim statue and benches, by contrast, are all about being in the thick of life. The humility reflected in bronze and granite is an invitation. The scene says: An ordinary human being with a strong heart and respect for all can make a meaningful difference in this world. What a wonderful message, and how appropriate for UMBC.

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