Mayo Brothers Statue, Rochester, MN
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 44° 01.297 W 092° 27.415
15T E 543524 N 4874417
These larger-than-life statues of Dr. Charles H. Mayo and his brother, Dr. William J. Mayo are found in Mayo Park, behind the Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.
Waymark Code: WMZ4CT
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2018
Views: 0
Dr. William W. Mayo came to the United States from England in 1845 and settled in rural Minnesota as a country doctor. Two of his sons, Charles Horace and William James, followed in their father’s footsteps, studying medicine at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan respectively.
In 1889, the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester desired to open a local hospital and asked the two Mayo brothers for help in establishing the facility. Named St. Mary’s Hospital, the facility grew, attracting patients and other doctors from all around due largely to the Mayo brothers influence and renown. Known colloquially as the “Mayo Clinic” for many years, that name was eventually adopted officially and today, the Mayo Clinic is consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in the world.
Both Charles H. Mayo and William J. Mayo died within a couple months of each other in 1939. Shortly thereafter, the citizens of Rochester wanted a memorial established in their honor. Prominent sculptor James Earle Fraser received the commission for the memorial which consisted of the two statues in an amphitheater-like setting with a large granite slab behind them. The statues have been moved on several occasions and spent some time in storage, but today, the memorial has been reestablished in a small park behind the civic center.
James Earle Fraser was a prolific sculptor during the first half of the twentieth century. Though never honored directly on a US postage stamp, several of his sculptures have, nevertheless, appeared on them. Besides the Mayo Brothers, these include the John Ericsson Memorial in Washington DC (1926 commemorative); “Contemplation of Justice” at the US Supreme Court Building (multiple issues); the vice-presidential bust of Theodore Roosevelt in the National Capitol and the huge statue of Benjamin Franklin at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (30c and ½c Presidential series issues of 1938).
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 11-Sept-1964
Denomination: 5 cents
Color: green
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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