Kennedy's Eternal Flame
1964 / William Joseph Thompson / Dayton
The sculpture is a strongly abstracted portrait of John F. Kennedy. The face is the most realistic, with the figure becoming more abstract from the neck down.
A plaque at the base reads:
"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption,
a distraction, in thelife of a nation, is very close
to the center of a nation's purpose - and is a test
of the quality of a nation's civilization."
John F. Kennedy
Statue commemorating
President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
and the eternal flame.
Original sculpture of cement and marble
by Bill Thompson, 1964.
Recasting in bronze by John Leon, 1998.
In 1998, the sculpture was restored and recast in bronze by John Leon and placed on a stone pedestal.
Location: In front of Kennedy Student Union.
Title
Kennedy's Eternal Flame
Description
The sculpture is a strongly abstracted portrait of John F. Kennedy. The face is the most realistic, with the figure becoming more abstract from the neck down.
A plaque at the base reads:
"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption,
a distraction, in thelife of a nation, is very close
to the center of a nation's purpose - and is a test
of the quality of a nation's civilization."
John F. Kennedy
Statue commemorating
President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
and the eternal flame.
Original sculpture of cement and marble
by Bill Thompson, 1964.
Recasting in bronze by John Leon, 1998.
In 1998, the sculpture was restored and recast in bronze by John Leon and placed on a stone pedestal.
A plaque at the base reads:
"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption,
a distraction, in thelife of a nation, is very close
to the center of a nation's purpose - and is a test
of the quality of a nation's civilization."
John F. Kennedy
Statue commemorating
President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
and the eternal flame.
Original sculpture of cement and marble
by Bill Thompson, 1964.
Recasting in bronze by John Leon, 1998.
In 1998, the sculpture was restored and recast in bronze by John Leon and placed on a stone pedestal.
Creator
Date
1964
Subject
Location City
Location County
Location Site
Location Type
Media Base Depth
1 ft 7 in
Media Sculpture Height
8 ft 3 in
Media Sculpture Width
3 ft
Media Sculpture Depth
3 ft
Media Base Height
1 ft 5 in
Media Base Width
1 ft 7 in
Creation Date
01/01/1964
![00599 Kennedy's Eternal Flame.jpg [image/jpeg]](https://oos.sculpturecenter.org/files/original/1383343cbc6e47a8fc3d47c172de2684.jpg){kind=link}
![jfk monument.jpg [image/jpeg]](https://oos.sculpturecenter.org/files/original/0fed3cc6a129bd2097b2b083fbc84443.jpg){kind=link}