Minuteman - University of Masachusetts - Amherst, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 23.354 W 072° 31.633
18T E 703543 N 4695955
The Minuteman statue is located near the original center of the campus in near the Old Chapel.
Waymark Code: WMH98C
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/10/2013
Views: 4
For 24 years the 17th century native of the area Chief Metawampe was the official mascot of the University of Massachusetts. When a controversy developed of the UMass nickname, the Redmen, the university students, in 1972, selected the Minuteman as the official mascot. The Class of 1950 then raised the funds for a statue of the new mascot. The statue was dedicated in October 2002.
A 9.5' tall bronze statue of a Revolutionary War Minuteman is standing while looking over his left shoulder and his left arm is bent up touching his right shoulder. He is dressed in period uniform with tri-cornered hat, vest and long boots. He has a rifle, which is pointing down, slung over his right shoulder. The Minuteman statue was sculpted by UMass professor John Townsend and cast by the Paul King Foundry, in Johnston, R.I. It sits on a 45" high base of gray Barre granite. The statue and base rest on a 90" by 84" concrete pad designed by Jason Venditti, Class of 1996, and an engineer at Facilities Planning.
The front of the granite base is inscribed:
MINUTEMAN
GIFT - CLASS OF 1950
DEDICATED - 2002
SCULPTOR - JOHN TOWNSEND