Samuel Eliot Morison - Boston, MA - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

A life-size bronze statue of Rear Admiral and noted maritime historian Samuel Eliot Morison was created by Penelope Jencks and installed along Commonwealth Avenue in 1982.

Morison is sitting on top of a 10' high granite boulder. He is wearing sailing attire, a windbreaker and a visored cap. His right arm rests on his right knee and he is holding a pair of binoculars in his right hand. The binoculars rest on his left leg. His left hand rests on a stack of two books. Circular platform at the foot of the sculpture has a nautical theme with bronze starfish, seaweed, crabs, and shells.

The front of the boulder is inscribed:

Rocks on either side of the main boulder are inscribed:

Samuel Eliot Morison was born in Boston, MA on July 9, 1887. He graduated Harvard University with a B.A. degree in 1908 and a Ph.D. in 1912. During World War I, he served as a private in the US Army. After the war he established himself as a leading scholar and historian in maritime history. In 1921, he wrote The Maritime History of Massachusetts. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned him to write a history of United States Navy operations during World War II.

To complete this task he had to take part in war operations. On May 5, 1942, Morison was commissioned Lieutenant Commander, US Naval Reserve, and was called to active duty. As a result he wrote History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Morison was promoted to the rank of Captain on December 15, 1945 and Rear Admiral on August 1, 1951, based on his combat record.

Morison continued writing as a professor at Harvard University. His writings earned him eleven honorary degrees, two Pulitizer Prizes, two Bancroft Prizes, the Balzan Prize, the Legion of Merit, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died on May 15, 1976 and his ashes are buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Northeast Harbor, Maine.