''General Douglas MacArthur'' is a public artwork by American artist Robert L. Dean, a 1953 graduate of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

(West Point, NY). Previously, the statue was located in MacArthur Square in the Milwaukee Civic Center Plaza, downtown

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, USA. On June 7, 2014, it was relocated to its new waterfront location at Veterans' Park, next to the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center. With full military honors, the bronze statue of General Douglas MacArthur was rededicated at its new home on June 7, 2014. The ceremony was the capstone event for the MacArthur Memorial Week, held nearly 35 years after the statue's original dedication on June 8, 1979.

Description

The sculpture features a standing, full-figure portrait of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, wearing a hat. The general was the top ranking cadet of the 1903 class of USMA. The sculpture, standing on a marble pedestal, depicts MacArthur with his hands are his back pants pockets. The inscription on the front of the pedestal reads "Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964". The plaque on the back reads "MacARTHUR SQUARE: MacArthur Square was designated on September 17, 1945 to honor General of the Army Douglas MacArthur for his leadership of the Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II. MacArthur, his father General Arthur MacArthur, and his grandfather judge Arthur McArthur, were all residents of Milwaukee. Douglas lived at the Plankinton House and attended West Division High School. In 1898 he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Milwaukee Congressman Theobald Otjen. Douglas MacArthur's final visit here was on April 27, 1951, when he received an honorary degree from Marquette University and spoke at this site."

Historical information

''General Douglas MacArthur'' was sculpted in 1977 over a period of five months in the French town of La Colle-sur-Loup, west of the city of Nice. The sculpture was cast in bronze in Montecatini, Italy. Dedication of the statue took place June 8, 1979 which was the 80th anniversary of MacArthur's entrance into the

at West Point,Buck, Diane M. and Virginia A. Palmer (1995).''Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee: A Cultural and Historical Guidebook'', p. 66, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison. after he had been twice rejected prior to his tutoring by a Milwaukee teacher. The dedication was part of a MacArthur Memorial Week from June 8 until June 14, 1979. Mrs. Marie Uihlein donated $50,000 for the sculpture in memory of her husband, Erwin Uihlein, who was a friend and admirer of MacArthur. Supplemental funds were raised by veterans' organizations and private donors. ''Milwaukee Journal'', March 7, 1979. MacArthur's grandfather, Arthur MacArthur, Sr., came to Milwaukee in 1849. He worked as an attorney and circuit judge and also served as lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. MacArthur's father,

Arthur MacArthur, Jr. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 – September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900; his term ended a year later due to clashes w ...

, served in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

where he was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for bravery. He also served in the Spanish–American War.

References

{{MilwaukeePublicArt 1979 establishments in Wisconsin 1979 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Wisconsin Monuments and memorials in Wisconsin Monuments and memorials to Douglas MacArthur Outdoor sculptures in Milwaukee Sculptures of men in Wisconsin Statues in Wisconsin