Everett McKinley Dirksen bust - Pekin, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 40° 34.128 W 089° 35.831
16T E 280143 N 4494133
A bust of Illinois US Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, home town Pekin boy, wearing a coat and a tie.
Waymark Code: WM9X25
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2010
Views: 3
From wikipedia:
"Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician of the Republican Party. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives (1933–49) and U.S. Senate (1951–69). As Senate Minority Leader for over a decade, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s, including helping to write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Open Housing Act of 1968, both landmarks of civil rights legislation. He was also one of the Senate's strongest supporters of the Vietnam War."
From the Smithsonian database:
Dimensions: Sculpture: approx. 48 x 18 x 18 in.; Base: 70 x 36 x 36 in.
Inscription: (Proper left side of sculpture:) Carl Tolpo/Sculptor/1972-5/ (copyright symbol)/75 (Bronze base proper left:) GIFT from the STATE of ILLINOIS (Bronze base proper right:) Carl Tolpo Sculptor 1972-75 (Bronze base front:) EVERETT McKINLEY DIRKSEN - Pekin, IL/U.S. HOUSE - 1933-49 896-1969/U.S. SENATE - 1950-69 Sculptor Carl Tolpo (copyright symbol) 1975/STOCK 1972-5 signed Founder's mark appears.
(NOTE: The inscription "896-1969" noted above is missing the leading "1" and so should read "1896-1969"
Also the database does not include the engravings on the base, which are:
Everett McKinley Dirksen
January 4, 1896 - September 7, 1969
Commissioner of Finance, Pekin, 1927-31
U.S. House of Representatives, 1933-49
U.S. Senate, 1951-69)
The statue is located outside The Dirksen Congressional Center, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization at Fourth & Broadway Street in Pekin, Illinois, that seeks to improve civic engagement by promoting a better understanding of Congress and its leaders through archival, research, and educational programs.
See (
visit link) for complete information.
Found this and the other Dirksen statue in town during a whirlwind 1 day waymarking cavort (prior to a meeting) through the Peoria area.