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The Joe Paterno statue was removed Sunday morning from its pedestal outside Beaver Stadium, and it will be stored in an unnamed "secure location," Penn State president Rodney Erickson announced. Erickson also said the Paterno name will remain on the university's library.
Shortly before dawn in State College, Pa., a work crew installed chain-link fences to barricade access to Porter Road outside Beaver Stadium and covered the fence with a blue tarp.
The work crew then removed the 7-foot high bronze statue by forklift and placed it into the lower level of the stadium. Erickson released his highly sensitive decision to the public at 7 a.m. ET Sunday.
The decision came 10 days after a scathing report by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh found that Paterno, with three other top Penn State administrators, had concealed the allegations of child sexual abuse made by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The Freeh Report concluded their motive was to shield the university and its football program from negative publicity.
Erickson's decision to remove the statue but keep the Paterno name on the library appears to be the product of compromise. Keeping his name on the library does not entirely disconnect Penn State from Paterno's contributions from the millions of dollars he donated to his 61-year coaching career to the university's academic life.
Erickson said in recent days he had heard "many differing opinions" about the fate of the Paterno statue and the best way to "memorialize such a revered figure."
"I now believe that, contrary to is original intention, Coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to hearing in our university and beyond," Erickson said in his 592-word statement. "For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location."
If the statue of Paterno, his right index finger raised in a No. 1 salute, had remained in its current location, Erickson said he believed it would "be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse."
Erickson's announcement came exactly six months after Paterno died.
Erickson acknowledged that his decision is bound to be an unpopular one in central Pennsylvania. "I fully realize that my decision will not be popular in some Penn State circles, but I am certain it is the right and principled decision," he said.
Erickson did not say where the statue would be kept. He also did not say whether it would be later placed in a public place for viewing or placed into storage. Trustees over the past two days who have spoken with Erickson said two possible locations have been discussed: the Penn State sports museum and the library, which still bears the Paterno family name.
Erickson's decision comes at an especially sensitive time for the university. Trustees and administrators are the subject of an NCAA investigation, and several trustees have said that if the statue remained it could weigh as a negative symbol in the NCAA's discussions on a punishment for the football program. In a conversation Thursday night and in follow-up discussions, trustees have expressed worry that the NCAA will level an extreme punishment against the football program. The former chairman of the board, trustees Steve Garban, resigned on Thursday under pressure by trustees who were angry that he knew about the Sandusky matter as early as April 2011 and never discussed it with his colleagues.
Some critics had also called for the Paterno family name to be removed from the library. But Erickson said no.
"The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success," Erickson said, "and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the university. Thus I feel strongly that the library's name should remain unchanged."
The issue of the appropriateness of the Paterno name on the library has received far less attention as the future of the statue, which was paid for by a group of about 35 alumni and their spouses in the late 1990s. Many of those same trustees have said they believe the statute should remain. Indeed, after their two-day meeting on July 12-13 in Scranton, Penn., most of the trustees had concluded that it was their decision to make, and the statue would remain.
The issue quickly divided the country and the Penn State community. Commentators argued about the symbolism of the statue, from college coaching legends like Bobby Bowden to iconic stars of the football team like Franco Harris. For three days last week, a small banner pulled a banner over State College that read, "Take the statue down or we will." Several nights last week, a handful of students guarded the statue from vandals. On some days, a campus auxiliary police officer guarded the statue.
The bronze statue of Paterno has been a place for supporters to rally and pray since the coach's death on Jan. 22. One late night after Paterno died, one of his sons, Jay Paterno, visited the statue and had his photograph taken with fans. Supporters have placed flowers and signs at the statue's foot, most supportive of Paterno. On Friday, Joe Paterno's widow, Sue Paterno, visited the statue with two of her daughters, accompanied by Harris and trustee Anthony Lubrano. The Paternos took pictures of the statue.
Late last week, the trustees and Erickson decided the statue should be an administration decision. As recently as Friday, some trustees expressed fury that the statue might be taken down. "People want to kick Joe's bones," a long-time trustee said Friday. "It's outrageous."
What made the decision especially difficult for university officials were the Paternos' philanthropy to Penn State. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4.5 million to the university to help with the library's construction, and they have paid for scholarships.
The Freeh Report found that Paterno, ousted long-time university president Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz worked to keep the Sandusky child sexual abuse allegations from becoming public across a period of 14 years. Paterno and Spanier were fired last November by the Board of Trustees.
Erickson said the decision to remove the statute but keep the Paterno name on the library is one that "both recognizes the many contributions that Joe Paterno made to the academic life of our university while taking seriously the conclusions of the Freeh Report and the national issue of child sexual abuse. Today, as every day, our hearts go out to the victims."
Source: AP
Shortly before dawn in State College, Pa., a work crew installed chain-link fences to barricade access to Porter Road outside Beaver Stadium and covered the fence with a blue tarp.
The work crew then removed the 7-foot high bronze statue by forklift and placed it into the lower level of the stadium. Erickson released his highly sensitive decision to the public at 7 a.m. ET Sunday.
The decision came 10 days after a scathing report by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh found that Paterno, with three other top Penn State administrators, had concealed the allegations of child sexual abuse made by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The Freeh Report concluded their motive was to shield the university and its football program from negative publicity.
Erickson's decision to remove the statue but keep the Paterno name on the library appears to be the product of compromise. Keeping his name on the library does not entirely disconnect Penn State from Paterno's contributions from the millions of dollars he donated to his 61-year coaching career to the university's academic life.
Erickson said in recent days he had heard "many differing opinions" about the fate of the Paterno statue and the best way to "memorialize such a revered figure."
"I now believe that, contrary to is original intention, Coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to hearing in our university and beyond," Erickson said in his 592-word statement. "For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location."
If the statue of Paterno, his right index finger raised in a No. 1 salute, had remained in its current location, Erickson said he believed it would "be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse."
Erickson's announcement came exactly six months after Paterno died.
Erickson acknowledged that his decision is bound to be an unpopular one in central Pennsylvania. "I fully realize that my decision will not be popular in some Penn State circles, but I am certain it is the right and principled decision," he said.
Erickson did not say where the statue would be kept. He also did not say whether it would be later placed in a public place for viewing or placed into storage. Trustees over the past two days who have spoken with Erickson said two possible locations have been discussed: the Penn State sports museum and the library, which still bears the Paterno family name.
Erickson's decision comes at an especially sensitive time for the university. Trustees and administrators are the subject of an NCAA investigation, and several trustees have said that if the statue remained it could weigh as a negative symbol in the NCAA's discussions on a punishment for the football program. In a conversation Thursday night and in follow-up discussions, trustees have expressed worry that the NCAA will level an extreme punishment against the football program. The former chairman of the board, trustees Steve Garban, resigned on Thursday under pressure by trustees who were angry that he knew about the Sandusky matter as early as April 2011 and never discussed it with his colleagues.
Some critics had also called for the Paterno family name to be removed from the library. But Erickson said no.
"The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success," Erickson said, "and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the university. Thus I feel strongly that the library's name should remain unchanged."
The issue of the appropriateness of the Paterno name on the library has received far less attention as the future of the statue, which was paid for by a group of about 35 alumni and their spouses in the late 1990s. Many of those same trustees have said they believe the statute should remain. Indeed, after their two-day meeting on July 12-13 in Scranton, Penn., most of the trustees had concluded that it was their decision to make, and the statue would remain.
The issue quickly divided the country and the Penn State community. Commentators argued about the symbolism of the statue, from college coaching legends like Bobby Bowden to iconic stars of the football team like Franco Harris. For three days last week, a small banner pulled a banner over State College that read, "Take the statue down or we will." Several nights last week, a handful of students guarded the statue from vandals. On some days, a campus auxiliary police officer guarded the statue.
The bronze statue of Paterno has been a place for supporters to rally and pray since the coach's death on Jan. 22. One late night after Paterno died, one of his sons, Jay Paterno, visited the statue and had his photograph taken with fans. Supporters have placed flowers and signs at the statue's foot, most supportive of Paterno. On Friday, Joe Paterno's widow, Sue Paterno, visited the statue with two of her daughters, accompanied by Harris and trustee Anthony Lubrano. The Paternos took pictures of the statue.
Late last week, the trustees and Erickson decided the statue should be an administration decision. As recently as Friday, some trustees expressed fury that the statue might be taken down. "People want to kick Joe's bones," a long-time trustee said Friday. "It's outrageous."
What made the decision especially difficult for university officials were the Paternos' philanthropy to Penn State. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4.5 million to the university to help with the library's construction, and they have paid for scholarships.
The Freeh Report found that Paterno, ousted long-time university president Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz worked to keep the Sandusky child sexual abuse allegations from becoming public across a period of 14 years. Paterno and Spanier were fired last November by the Board of Trustees.
Erickson said the decision to remove the statute but keep the Paterno name on the library is one that "both recognizes the many contributions that Joe Paterno made to the academic life of our university while taking seriously the conclusions of the Freeh Report and the national issue of child sexual abuse. Today, as every day, our hearts go out to the victims."
Source: AP