Statue of George Washington

Standing at the entrance to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909, the Statue of George Washington was unveiled on Flag Day, June 14, 1909. It remained on a temporary base for some time due to lack of funds for a suitable pedestal. Floral wreaths were placed around its base on Washington's birthday. (McCaffrey, p. 74)

Thanks to the Rainier Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, school children of the state of Washington, and the State Commission of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo, the Statue was mounted on a 24' stone monument base. The base was built by the Works Progress Administration and dedicated on June 14, 1939. Today, the statue stands next to the building which houses The Henry Art Gallery Store, a cafeteria appropriately called By George, and the Odegaard Undergraduate Library.

The International Grove consists of 35 trees; one for each of 35 foreign consuls. Meany and others participated in the planting of the trees of friendship signifying universal cooperation. (McCaffrey, p. 65)

On the back of this photograph someone has written that this is a "true cutting of the old original 'George Washington elm' in Cambridge Massachusetts planted by Professor Edmond S. Meany in front of Lewis Hall in 1902." The original elm is the one under which George Washington took command of the American Army on July 3, 1775. (McCaffrey, p. 37,38) The picture was taken May, 1947, when the height of the tree was almost 75' tall.

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