University Brochure Copy
Brochure copy (12-page brochure) to solicit funds from alumni to erect
a statue on Roger Williams University campus, written by Richard Stewart
Roger Williams University
MEASURE OF GREATNESS
Great universities employ symbols to help establish identity
and distinguish themselves and their traditions. We at Roger
Williams University feel the time is right to create a symbol
of our own to mark the significant achievements—in facilities
and academics—made in the nearly three decades since our
Bristol campus was dedicated. The University has commis-
sioned a bronze statue of Roger Williams, our namesake, to
symbolize his virtues of tolerance, open-mindedness, diversity
and quest for truth and knowledge that endure at our
University.
Funding for this major artistic effort will come from the
generosity of friends of the University—people like yourself—
whose tradition of giving has helped make Roger Williams
University worthy of such a great namesake. Your gift will
play an important part in the University's history. Your gen-
erosity will be appreciated for years to come—every time
someone pauses to admire our statue, a symbol of our
greatness.
World-renowned Rhode Island sculptor Armand LaMon-
tagne will create the work, which will be the only bronze
statue of Roger Williams in the state. It is sure to draw visitors
and become a source of pride for everyone associated with the
University. Join us in this historic effort. With your help, we
can honor the memory of this great man and continue the long
tradition of giving at Roger Williams University.Anthony J. Santoro
University President
HONORING OUR NAMESAKERoger Williams, founder of Rhode Island and namesake of
Roger Williams University, is remembered as a great reformer
and leading champion of democracy and freedom in the Amer-
ican colonies. The government he established 360 years ago
was based on religious toleration and separation of church and
state —the first genuine democracy.
He studied languages, theology and law at Cambridge before
setting off from London in 1631 to join the Puritans in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. While welcomed warmly at first, he
soon was shunned for his "newe and dangerous opinions"—
namely his outspoken criticism of the civil authorities. Williams
challenged the right of the Puritans to take Indian lands without
compensation and to demand religious conformity of everyone.
A man of letters and languages, Roger Williams wrote
voluminously, including a treatise on the culture and dialects of
his Indian neighbors. He was widely known for his defense
of Indian rights and his feelings of affection for his Indian
neighbors, a fondness not shared by most other colonists. He
spent much time among the Narragansett Indians, who befriended
him and made him a gift of land for a settlement he called
Providence—gift of God. There "soul-liberty," his term for liberty
of conscience, flourished.
When word of his "lively experiment" in democracy spread,
other colonists followed him to Rhode Island. He was respected for
his sense of justice and fairness toward all, and he often served as
a peacemaker. His masterpiece, a book on the nature of government
and defense of religious freedom, was banned—and burned—in
England.
His quest for knowledge and truth are preserved at Roger
Williams University.As a tribute to this unique free-thinker, the University has
commissioned a bronze statue of his likeness to become a permanent
memorial on the Bristol campus. It will become an important part of
our history.
BE A PART OF HISTORY
The beauty and splendid setting of our Bristol campus convinced
sculptor Armand LaMontagne that Roger Williams University would
be the perfect place for his signature bronze sculpture in his home
state of Rhode Island. And no symbol could be more appropriate
than a statue of Roger Williams at the University bearing his name,
to memorialize that great man and reflect his high ideals and
commitment to the greater good that we share in our community of
teachers and learners.
We invite you to become a part of the history of Roger Williams
University by contributing to the bronze statue fund. The
participation of our students, faculty, staff alumni and community
members at large is welcomed. Several levels of giving are available
to suit a variety of needs. Donations can be made in your name or
in the name of another person.
As our University continues to grow in size and stature the bronze
statue of Roger Williams, made possible by your generosity, will
continue to symbolize the greatness of Roger Williams University
and the value placed on maintaining intellectual curiosity throughout
a lifetime.
"This project is especially exciting and meaningful for our
Sculptor Armand M. LaMontagne
class, since we will be the first to graduate after the statue is
dedicated. I'm honored to be a part of the sponsoring class,
and I feel sure that the statue of Roger Williams will add
prestige and pride to our University. That's why I am
participating in the campaign to fund the statue project,
and I hope all alumni and other supporters of Roger
Williams University will join me and my classmates — and
become a part of history."—Denise Perry '97
Senior Class Treasurer
Native Rhode Islander Armand LaMontagne is considered one of
America's pre-eminent sculptors. Primarily self-taught, he has been
sculpting for more than 50 years, starting as a young boy with a
penknife and emerging as an exceptionally masterful artist renowned
for his startlingly life-like statues.
He lives and works in North Scituate, Rhode Island, in a 17th-
century-style home he built of wood and stone and furnished himself.
Nearby are three other houses built by the artist. He considers the
structures his four "biggest" sculptures.
LaMontagne has exhibited in numerous one-man and group shows
and his works are included in many private collections. Two bronze
sculptures of former President Gerald Ford created by the artist are
on display in Michigan, one at the University of Michigan at Ann
Arbor, the other at the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids. Other
famous people he has sculpted include Eleanor Roosevelt, Gen.
George S. Patton Jr., Lord Horatio Nelson and Elvis Presley.
His life-sized painted wooden sculptures of sports greats Larry
Bird, Bobby Orr and Carl Yastrzemski, among others, are top
attractions at the New England Sports Museum in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. His sculptures of Ted Williams and Babe Ruth are
among the most photographed displays in the Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Bronze sculptures of Gen. Patton and Larry Bird can be seen
at the artist's Scituate studio. A wooden statute of the general is on
display at Fort Knox in Kentucky. P 8: Photo of Gen. Patton statueLaMontagne's wooden sculptures are carved from single blocks of
basswood, weighing 1,800 to 2,500 pounds. They typically take him
six months of working 80-hour weeks to complete. Not even the
slightest detail is overlooked by the artist.
Early last year he began working on a special project that will
become the series called "Legends of Armand LaMontagne." The
works are bronze medallions cast from LaMontagne's wood
sculptured heads of legendary sports figures.
Art critic and author Roger Schroeder, who has written nine
books on sculpture, was quoted as saying: "Armand captures a
spark of personality in his work which nobody else seems able to
do in wood sculpture. Others attempt it and come up with
something impressionistic or caricature like, but he makes subjects
come alive."
The sculptor has been featured on television and in articles in
Life magazine, Sports Illustrated, Yankee magazine, The Robb
Report, U.S. Art, Early American Life, and other notable
publications.
The bronze statue of Roger Williams that LaMontagne will
create for the University will be his first work to be permanently
displayed in Rhode Island. The sculptor plans to begin work on the
Roger Williams project this spring.All friends of the University are urged to contribute to our funding
effort to erect a bronze statue of Roger Williams at the Bristol
campus. By participating you can show your support for the
University's many significant achievements: the dramatic increase in
facilities from the original five buildings in 1972 to 23 today, the
steadily growing student population and the broadening alumni base.
Your generosity will serve as an endorsement of everything that is
great—today and in the future—about Roger Williams University.
THROUGH YOUR GENEROSITY
The Roger Williams Bronze Statue Project is becoming a wellspring
of pride for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and the community.
The bronze statue will be the center piece for the Bristol campus,
adding the finishing touch to the quadrangle and establishing a classic
memorial to Roger Williams' namesake. Building on a tradition of
community, campus and alumni support, this effort will enhance the
campus and become a landmark for all to appreciate.
Every gift to the statue project is important. A wide range of Giving
Options is available to enable everyone to participate in this historic
undertaking at the University. You are welcome to select the option that
is right for you and your family. For gifts at the $1000 level and above,
donors' names will be etched on a bronze plaque to be placed near the
base of the statue to be seen by all who walk through the campus
quadrangle. Those donors who give $10,000 or more will be recognized
on a bronze plaque near the base of the statue and will be invited to
attend a reception with the world-renowned sculptor Armand LaMontagne.
Matching gifts can double and even triple the impact of your gift. If
you or your spouse are associated with a company or corporation that
offers matching gifts for such worthwhile efforts as the Roger Williams
statue project, please complete the forms required by your company
and send them with your gift.Declare your support of the Roger Williams Bronze Statue Project with
a one-time gift or a multi-year pledge. All donors' names will be listed in
the dedication brochure and President's Annual Report. A three-year
pledge program is available for donors who are interested in naming
opportunities. All donors are eligible for membership in one of the
University's leadership giving clubs. Dedication of the Roger Williams
statue is planned for the fall of 1997.HOW TO GIVE—Please...
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