In partnership with the City of St. George’s Dixie Days and in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s founding, Utah Tech University held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its Presidents Grove Statue Garden on Wednesday morning.
“Presidents Grove Statue Garden stands as a living tribute to visionaries whose ideas shaped the world we live in today,” Shane B. Smeed, president of Utah Tech University, said. “By honoring them on our campus, we hope to inspire generations of students to reflect deeply, think boldly and pursue knowledge with purpose and passion.”
To encourage students to be innovators and visionaries in their own right, the garden pays tribute to five of the nation’s greatest thinkers, including Benjamin Franklin, donated by Daryl C. Kelly; Albert Einstein, donated by Steve Zolman; George Washington, donated by David Lee, Stephen Bos and Andrew Ball; Martin Luther King Jr., donated by Steve Zolman; and Abraham Lincoln, donated by the K.C. and Nancy Ericksen family. All five of the bronze statues were created by Utah artist Stan Watts.
“I personally invite anyone who lives in or is visiting our community to stop by and be inspired by this beautiful and meaningful art installation,” Smeed said. “I am deeply appreciative of the city, county, and state for helping us celebrate this impactful addition to our community.”
Also in partnership with Dixie Days, Utah Tech is hosting a Community Day at the university’s Human Performance Center from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 17. As part of this, everyone is invited to use all HPC amenities, including the rock-climbing wall, Olympic-sized pool, work-out equipment and basketball and pickleball courts.
Utah Tech partnered with the City of St. George to celebrate Dixie Days to recognize the region’s long-standing tradition of valuing education and honor the people whose contributions to the community have made Southern Utah a great place to live and learn.
To further recognize the local meaning of Dixie, which the Southern Utah community understands to represent the pioneer heritage of camaraderie, grit, sacrifice and service, the university has created a line of merchandise branded with past institutional names that is available for purchase at the Campus Store. Additionally, Utah Tech has historic institutional logos on display at the entrance to the Gardner Ballroom and added “Dixie Campus” to monument signage. Also, the university created Heritage Cove, a monument garden on campus that explains local history, and commissioned the film “Preservation & Progress: The Story of Utah’s Dixie.”
Utah Tech University also led the charge to place the D on the Hill and the Dixie Sugarloaf on the National Register of Historic Places and extended the D on the Hill lighting capabilities to illuminate in celebratory colors to honor local high school state championships and other city initiatives and events.
To learn more about the history of Utah Tech University, visit about.utahtech.edu/history and for details on Dixie Days, visit sgcityutah.gov/activity/special_events/dixie_days/index.php.