For U.S. Dopers: Do you know/would you replace your states Statuary Hall statues?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I had no idea what Alabamian’s statues were in teh National Statuary Hall Collection until I went there a couple of years ago.

Alabama’s two statues are of:

Jabez L.M. Curry- Both of my parents taught Alabama history and I’ve read many books on the subject and if I’ve ever heard of this man before I don’t remember it. Basic resume: lawyer, secessionist legislator, Confederate Lt. Colonel, later a college president and briefly ambassador to Spain. I can guarantee you not on in 5,000 Alabamians (discounting 4th Graders who just studied it perhaps) could name him or tell you what he did, and that includes me.
Joseph Wheeler- him I know well: Georgia born but New England/NYC raised Confederate cavalry general. He never lived in Alabama until after the Civil War, then became Democratic Representative for his district in the 1880s. In the 1890s he became the only Confederate general to later become a general in the US armed forces when at Teddy Roosevelt’s request he accompanied him to Cuba and served in the Spanish American War. (Per legend, when routing Spanish troops in a charge he once cried out “C’mon boys! We got the damn Yankees on the run!”, old habits dying hard I suppose.)

Wheeler’s a decent choice- politically incorrect today perhaps, but understandable for when he was entered.

So, I’d recall Curry at least and replace him with…

HUGO BLACK- the liberal SCOTUS justice (though a former KKK member)- gives a nice “Old South/New South” moment.

Or, perhaps…

GEORGE WALLACE- who really did represent the change that occurred in AL in the late 20th century. When he could stand he was an ardent segregationist, he was “born again” (his description) after the assassination attempt that crippled him, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to be remembered as an invalid so I’d split the middle and have him sculpted in a seated position but not in a wheelchair.

HANK WILLIAMS comes to mind also, but nah— there’s enough here already to honor him. HELEN KELLER- on the state quarter- is someone that people seem to forget only lived here for her first 10 years (she visited afterward but lived in the northeast- ironic that Alabama, one of the most conservative states, has one of the most outspoken feminists and a card-carrying-Communist Party member).

I think I’d go with Wheeler and Black though. Good mix, and both were Alabama residents who served in D.C…

So can you name yours? And would you replace them and if so who with?

2

For og’s sake— get rid of andrew jackson!

3

I was very happy to see that New York has George Clinton in there, but then I found out he wasn’t the one I was thinking of.

Colorado has Florence Sabin, a woman from a small mountain town who became the first woman to graduate from and also hold a professorship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I guess that’s pretty cool.

The other is Jack Swigert, one of the Mercury astronauts. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 but died of cancer before he was sworn in. I’d replace Swigert. Possible candidates are Jack Dempsey, Byron “Whizzer” White, football star and US Supreme Court Justice, Buffalo Bill, Glenn Miller.

I would probably choose Governor Ralph Carr, who sacrificed his political career by welcoming and treating with respect and fighting for the rights of Japanese-Americans interned in camps in the state. It was a very unpopular stance to take at the time.

4

We got George Clinton: Governor, Vice President, and Grand Master of P-Funk.

5

Tyne Daly either dated or leastwise was good friends with George Clinton many years ago- back in the 90s after her divorce from Georg Sanford Brown. I remember seeing a picture of her and Clinton at some function and thinking “Holy Mother! I’d read her divorce was bitter and traumatic, but she’s so desperate for love she’s dating a homeless guy!” (She’s been in a longterm relationship with Mod Squad actor Clarence Williams III for the past 15 years or so, so apparently Clinton’s unique grooming and attire got old to her.)

6

I wouldn’t have guessed Kansas. They used to be George Click and John James Ingalls, who are two guys I’ve never heard of. But Kansas is taking advantage of the newish policy that allows replacement and going with Amelia Earhart and Dwight D Eisenhower. I’m against replacing statues with Presidents, as I think presidents get enough of this kind of thing already. (CA and MI are switching out their statues for Reagan and Ford).

I’m OK with Amelia Earhart, but I think Kansas should have done John Brown, just because the painting of him in the Kansas Capitol is so bad ass. (Of course, he should look bat-shit crazy in statue form too)

I’m really disappointed that congress has authorized a “special” statue of Rosa Parks. If Alabama wants Rosa Parks, they should jerk Jabez Curry or Joe Wheeler. You don’t get three statues. Two statues per state. That’s how it works.

7

I meant to mention that in the OP- thanks for doing so. It’s why I didn’t include her even though she’s an obvious choice.

Her death was such a freaking circus as every single politician there was- including more than a few who would have been the first to call the cops on her- tried to get some kind of tie-in by eulogizing her to the press or, in the case of Tom Delay, COMPARING HIMSELF TO HER! (Yep, you’re practically twins Tom.)
What was ridiculous to me was that a couple of years before she died she was in danger of being evicted from her home because she was more than a year behind in her payments. (It wasn’t indigence exactly- while she wasn’t rich she’d made a good bit of money from speaking engagements over the years and had pensions and royalty income- but in her late 80s/early 90s she was no longer mentally or physically capable of managing her affairs, her next of kin were also old and not able to manage her complicated affairs, and the extended family was fighting over conservatorship and there was talk of embezzlement and her estate was being mismanaged- big fustercluck in other words.) It was big news at the time- it was no secret that eviction proceedings had been started- and the same people- politicians and celebrities and others- who practically did the first scene of Evita when she died with the lying in state and the “falling over theirselves to get all of the misery right” (note: I’m not saying this was all of her mourners, but the media whore ones) did nothing- didn’t contribute a nickel to her care, didn’t pass any kind of relief, didn’t appoint a special conservator or investigator or start a relief fund, or anything like. Only dead and embalmed was she a superstar to them (no glory in helping an old lady pay the rent evidently.)

In the end she wasn’t evicted because the owners of her building refused to throw Rosa Parks out on the street. Somehow her family worked it out evidently, though I understand they continue to fight over her estate with the ones who really were caregivers pretty much being tossed aside by others. Sad but hardly surprising- nothing like a potentially well to do old person without kids to throw chum to the sorry relative waters.

8

I am torn. Ohio has Jamie Garfie (President Garfield, if you must), who, while certainly an accomplished and celebrated Civil War general, already has tons of war memorials dedicated to him. His presidency is only remembered for being, due to assassination, one of the shortest, second only to another Ohio president. (Okay, Harrison was born in the Colony of Virginia, but he lived the latter portion of his life in Ohio and he was pretty involved with Ohio politics). I don’t think Garfie really was amazing enough of an individual to get the statue. President Taft was a much more successful president, even though his administration was overshadowed by a petty feud with Roosevelt and the subsequent schism of the Republican party. Despite that, he managed to get quite a bit of good done, particularly wrt trust-busting and commerce. He was also big on world peace, which is a sentiment that would be nice to have in a president again. Unfortunately, his statue would be too big and would probably throwoff the feng shui in the rotunda. :stuck_out_tongue: Still, he’s more deserving than Garfield is.

The other statue (in the hall, not the rotunda), is of William Allen, the guy that was governor of Ohio before Rutherford Hayes was. Apart from that, I have no clue who the hell he is or why anybody should give a rat’s patoot about him. He is a frightful-looking man though, so maybe that is good enough. I would suggest perhaps Tecumseh, who, granted, was fiercely opposed to the United States and died while fighting with the British during the War of 1812, but he was still a figure of Ohio history deserving recognition (at least, more recognition than cheesy outdoor theatre reenactments).

9

without looking - I think it’s Marcus & Narcissa Whitman…

With looking - I was half right. The other half is “Mother Joseph” who, according to her wikipedia article, was pretty cool. So her.