Monday, January 20, 2025

Question: What university in Texas was the second in the nation (after his alma mater) to install a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on its campus?

Answer: The University of Texas at Austin, where a statue of the civil rights leader in academic garb was installed in September 1999. The event marked the culmination of an effort that began in 1987 when a group of students formed the Martin Luther King Jr. Sculpture Foundation. The university’s board of directors authorized $150,000 to construct a pedestal. In 1995, a student referendum imposed a fee to raise funds for the sculpture itself. Husband-and-wife team Jeffrey and Anna Koh-Varilla of Chicago were selected to design the life-size bronze sculpture.