AMES, Iowa – The Jack Trice statue, which has been located at Jack Trice Stadium since 1997, will be returned to Iowa State University’s central campus.
The statue of Trice, Iowa State’s first African-American student-athlete, stands outside the north entrance to the stadium. The statue needs to be relocated because of the construction of the new Sports Performance Center.
Rather than temporarily relocate the Jack Trice statue during the construction period, a committee of campus and student leaders proposed permanently returning the statue to central campus and using the construction project as an opportunity to develop additional visible ways to recognize Jack Trice’s legacy in and around Jack Trice Stadium. The statue was originally located between Beardshear Hall and Carver Hall from 1988 to 1997.
The committee, consisting of leaders from the Division of Student Affairs, Department of Athletics, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Facilities Planning and Management, University Museums and Student Government, consulted with the Division of Academic Affairs, the Black Faculty and Staff Association, Professional and Scientific Council and Faculty Senate before sending the proposal to senior leadership and the president for approval.
“Moving the statue back to central campus is a wonderful way to lift up the prominence and recognition of Jack Trice’s legacy to the entire Iowa State community,” said Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen. “I appreciate the careful thought and wide input that helped us arrive at this important decision. We plan to convene another committee to help decide how we can further share Jack Trice’s story.”
Consensus on the central campus location for the statue is between Beardshear Hall and the Hub, a high traffic area that provides ideal visibility. The Department of Athletics is working with Facilities Planning and Management and University Museums to move the statue in the coming weeks to a short-term holding area until the new site is ready this summer.
“Returning the statue to central campus provides an opportunity to significantly expand awareness of Jack Trice’s story beyond athletics,” said Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. “We look forward to working with a committee to help identify how we can further enhance Jack Trice’s legacy in and around our facilities.”
“I believe the relocation of the Jack Trice statue is important in two ways,” said Student Government President Julian Neely. “First, relocating it to central campus honors Trice’s scholastic excellence as a student athlete. Second, it provides an opportunity for a new Jack Trice tribute that we hope will be a larger display as part of the new plaza and sports performance center.”
Plans to further celebrate Jack Trice’s legacy will be incorporated into the overall planning for the Student-Athlete Sports Performance Center. The $90 million center project, funded by private support and athletics funds, was begun this month and will take two years to fully complete.
