The National Statuary Hall Collection in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old Hall of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

, which was then renamed '' National Statuary Hall''. The expanding collection has since been spread throughout the Capitol and its visitor center. With the addition of New Mexico's second statue in 2005, the collection is now complete with 100 statues contributed by 50 states, plus two from the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

(see '' Statues of the National Statuary Hall Collection''). Since Congress authorized replacements in 2000, thirteen states have replaced at least one of their original two statues. In 2022, Kansas became the first state to replace both of its statues; it has been joined by Arkansas and Nebraska.

History

The concept of a National Statuary Hall originated in the middle of the nineteenth century, before the completion of the present House wing in 1857. At that time, the House of Representatives moved into its new larger chamber and the old vacant chamber became a thoroughfare between the Rotunda and the House wing. Suggestions for the use of the chamber were made as early as 1853 by Gouverneur Kemble, a former member of the House, who pressed for its use as a gallery of historical paintings. The space between the columns seemed too limited for this purpose, but it was well suited for the display of busts and statuary. Car of history

On April 19, 1864, Representative Justin S. Morrill asked: "To what end more useful or grand, and at the same time simple and inexpensive, can we devote it he Chamberthan to ordain that it shall be set apart for the reception of such statuary as each State shall elect to be deserving of in this lasting commemoration?" His proposal to create a National Statuary Hall became law on July 2, 1864: Originally, all state statues were placed in National Statuary Hall. However, the aesthetic appearance of the Hall began to suffer from overcrowding until, in 1933, the situation became unbearable. At that time the Hall held 65 statues, which stood, in some cases, three deep. More important, the structure of the chamber would not support the weight of any more statues. Therefore, in 1933 Congress passed a resolution that: Under authority of this resolution it was decided that only one statue from each state should be placed in Statuary Hall. The others would be given prominent locations in designated areas and corridors of the Capitol. A second rearrangement of the statues was made in 1976 by authorization of the Joint Committee on the Library. To improve the crowded appearance of the collection, thirty-eight statues were rearranged in Statuary Hall according to height and material. Statues representing ten of the thirteen original colonies were moved to the Central Hall of the East Front Extension on the first floor of the Capitol. The remainder of the statues were distributed throughout the Capitol, mainly in the Hall of Columns and the connecting corridors of the House and Senate wings. Legislation was introduced in 2005 that would authorize the collection to include one statue from each U.S. Territory; it did not pass. Each statue is the gift of a state, not of an individual or group of citizens. Proceedings for the donation of a statue usually begin in the state legislature with the enactment of a resolution that names the citizen to be commemorated and cites his or her qualifications, specifies a committee or commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor, and provides for a method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the resolution into effect. In recent years, the statues have been unveiled during ceremonies in the Rotunda and displayed there for up to six months. They are then moved to a permanent location approved by the Joint Committee on the Library. An act of Congress (), enacted in 2000, permits states to provide replacements and repossess the earlier one.
special act
of Congress, , signed on December 1, 2005, directed the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

of Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the United States Capitol in National Statuary Hall in a suitable permanent location. On February 27, 2013, Parks became the first African-American woman to have her likeness in the Hall. Though located in Statuary Hall, Parks' statue is ''not'' part of the Collection; neither Alabama (her birth state) nor Michigan (where she lived most of her later years) commissioned it, and both states are represented in the Collection by other statues. In 2002, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill in Congress to allow the

to place two statues in the collection, in parity with the 50 states. While the bill was not enacted, the district commissioned two statues, one of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the other of D.C. master planner Pierre L'Enfant, and housed them in One Judiciary Square in hopes of eventually placing them in the Capitol. A 2010 version of the bill to accept D.C.'s statues stalled after House Republicans began adding amendments in an attempt to soften D.C.'s gun laws. A 2012 compromise bill led to the placement of the statue of Douglass, but not L'Enfant, on June 19, 2013. Norton continued to pursue legislation to move the second statue to the Capitol. The statue of L'Enfant was later placed in the Capitol in February 2022. Amid national debates about Confederate statues and monuments, Democrats in Congress introduced bills in 2017 to remove statues of people who served in the Confederacy from the National Statuary Hall Collection, but the legislation made no progress. Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, and Virginia have passed resolutions to remove statues of individuals with Confederate ties, although Alabama retained a second statue of a Confederate veteran. North Carolina and Arkansas have authorized replacing statues of Jim Crow-era politicians with racist views.

Demographics

Women

There are fourteen statues of women representing states in the collection: * Frances E. Willard (Illinois), the first statue of a woman in the collection, was also sculpted by a woman, Helen Farnsworth Mears. * Helen Keller (Alabama) * Florence R. Sabin (Colorado) *

Maria Sanford Maria Louise Sanford (December 19, 1836 – April 21, 1920) was an American educator. She was a professor of history at Swarthmore College from 1871 to 1880 and a professor of rhetoric and elocution at the University of Minnesota from 1880 to 190 ...

(Minnesota) * Jeannette Rankin (Montana), the first woman elected to the House and, famously, the only Member of Congress to vote against U.S. entry into both World Wars. * Sacagawea (North Dakota), one of the six Native Americans in the collection. * Sarah Winnemucca (Nevada), one of the six Native Americans in the collection. * Mother Joseph (Washington), a native of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. * Esther Hobart Morris (Wyoming) * Mary McLeod Bethune (Florida) *

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

(Kansas) * Willa Cather (Nebraska) * Daisy Bates (Arkansas) * Martha Hughes Cannon (Utah) The statue of Rosa Parks in the Capitol does not represent a state and "is not a part of the National Statuary Hall Collection." A statue of Barbara Johns (Virginia) has been authorized.

Native Hawaiian and Native American members

The collection includes statues of Hawaiian king Kamehameha I and of six Native Americans: Popé (New Mexico), Will Rogers (Oklahoma), Sequoyah (Oklahoma), Sacagawea (North Dakota), Washakie (Wyoming), and Sarah Winnemucca (Nevada). Nebraska has authorized the addition of a statue of Chief Standing Bear, and Washington has authorized a statue of Billy Frank Jr.

Members of Hispanic descent

Dionisio "Dennis" Chávez, the first person of Hispanic descent to be elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate, represents New Mexico. Saint Junípero Serra, born in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, was a Spanish-era founder of the California mission system.

African-American members

In February 2013, a

of Rosa Parks was placed as the first full-length statue of an African American in the Capitol. It did not represent a particular state, but was commissioned directly by Congress. A few months later, on Juneteenth, 2013, a

of Frederick Douglass was placed in the Capitol Visitor Center as a gift of the

. There are also busts of Martin Luther King Jr. (1986) and Sojourner Truth (2009). Until 2018, no state had designated an African American as one of its two statues. In March 2018, Florida Governor

Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy, Navy veteran serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of F ...

signed legislation to replace the

Edmund Kirby Smith Edmund Kirby Smith (May 16, 1824March 28, 1893) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate States Army Four-star rank, general, who oversaw the Trans-Mississippi Department (comprising Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, western L ...

with one of African American educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. The new statue was unveiled July 13, 2022. In April 2019, Arkansas also authorized a

of Daisy Bates, which was installed in May 2024. In December 2020, Virginia Governor

Ralph Northam Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American physician and former politician who served as the 73rd governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A pediatric Neurology, neurologist by occupation, he was an officer in the Medical Co ...

announced that the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee would be replaced by a statue of African American civil rights activist Barbara Johns.

Catholic clergy and nun

The collection includes Father Damien from Hawaiʻi, Father

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette, Society of Jesus, S.J. (; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Society of Jesus, Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste. M ...

from Wisconsin, Father Junipero Serra from California, and Father

Eusebio Kino Eusebio Francisco Kino, Jesuits, SJ (, ; 10 August 1645 – 15 March 1711), often referred to as Father Kino, was an Italian Jesuit, missionary, geographer, explorer, cartographer, mathematician and astronomer born in the Prince-Bishopric of Tre ...

from Arizona, as well as Mother Joseph Pariseau from Washington.

Confederates

The collection contains several statues of leaders of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

. These include CSA President

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

and Vice President Alexander Stephens and Confederate soldiers, most in

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

uniforms: Generals Joseph Wheeler, James Z. George, Wade Hampton III, as well as Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance and former enlisted soldiers John E. Kenna and Edward Douglass White. Alabama replaced its

of Confederate politician and army officer Jabez Curry in 2009. In 2018 the Florida legislature voted to replace its

of Confederate general

with a

of African American educator and Civil Rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune; Smith's statue was removed in 2021 ahead of the unveiling of Bethune's statue in 2022. In 2019, Arkansas decided to replace both its statues, including the one of Uriah M. Rose, with civil rights activist Daisy Bates and

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

. In 2020, Virginia decided to replace its statue of Robert E. Lee, which had stood in the collection since 1909, with one of Barbara Rose Johns Powell and the Lee statue was removed December 20–21, 2020. A

of Uriah M. Rose, "an attorney who sided with the Confederacy" and was the chancellor of Pulaski County, Arkansas, while Arkansas was part of the Confederacy, was replaced with a

of civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

Collection

Replacement of statues

A 2000 change in the law allows a state to remove a previously placed statue from the collection and replace it with another. Since then, thirteen states have replaced statues and other states have either considered or passed legislation calling for replacing one or both of their statues.

Replacements

* Alabama replaced its

of Jabez Curry in 2009 with one of Helen Keller. The Curry statue is now in the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery. * Arizona replaced its

of John Campbell Greenway in 2015 with one of

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

. The Greenway statue is now at the Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building near the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. * Arkansas replaced its

of U. M. Rose with one of Daisy Bates. * Arkansas replaced its

of James P. Clarke with one depicting musician

. * California replaced its

of Thomas Starr King with one of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

in 2009. The King statue now stands in Capitol Park at the

California State Capitol The California State Capitol is the seat of the California state government, located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senat ...

in Sacramento. * Florida replaced its statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith with one of the African-American

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune on July 13, 2022, pursuant to a 2018 state law. The Smith statue was to have been moved to the Lake County Historical Museum in Tavares, after residents of St. Augustine, his birthplace, expressed no interest. However, at a County Commission meeting on July 24, 2018, about 24 residents spoke against, and none in favor, of bringing the statue to Lake County. Chairman Sullivan assured the crowd that the commission would tell the Historical Museum "that there is no longer a want or desire to bring this statue to Lake County". * Iowa replaced its statue of James Harlan in 2014 with one of Norman Borlaug, who is considered the founder of the

Green Revolution The Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period during which technology transfer initiatives resulted in a significant increase in crop yields. These changes in agriculture initially emerged in Developed country , devel ...

. The Harlan statue is now displayed at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. * Kansas replaced its statue of George Washington Glick with one of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2003. The Glick statue now resides at the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka. Almost 20 years later, in 2022, the Kansas legislature approved replacing the

of John James Ingalls with one of female aviation pioneer

in the same 1999 resolution that authorized replacing their statue of George Washington Glick with one of Eisenhower, but progress on the project was stalled by funding and paperwork delays. The Ingalls statue was replaced overnight on July 26 and the Earhart statue was unveiled on July 27 of the same year. It is unknown what will happen with the Ingalls statue now. * Michigan replaced its statue of Zachariah Chandler with one of

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

in 2011. The Chandler statue is now in the atrium of Constitution Hall in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

. *Missouri: In 2002, Governor Bob Holden signed a resolution to add a

of President Harry S. Truman to the collection, but nothing happened for years after the state's request to the Architect of the Capitol was improperly filed. In 2019 a new resolution for a Truman statue passed the state senate and was forwarded to the Missouri House. The Truman Library Institute commissioned Kansas City sculptor Tom Corbin to create the statue, with a target completion date of 2020, the 75th anniversary of Truman's

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

. It was finally installed in September 2022, replacing the

of Thomas Hart Benton. Benton's statue was moved to the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia. * Nebraska: In 2018, the Nebraska legislature passed LB 807, calling for the replacement of both of the state's statues, which date to 1937. It replaced Its statue of

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

with one of

Ponca The Ponca people are a nation primarily located in the Great Plains of North America that share a common Ponca culture, history, and language, identified with two Indigenous nations: the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma or the Ponca Tribe of ...

Chief Standing Bear. The Standing Bear statue is the work of Ben Victor, who created two similar statues of the chief that were previously installed in Nebraska, and was installed in September 2019. The Bryan statue was relocated to the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward, Nebraska. In 2023, a statue of author Willa Cather was installed, replacing a statue of Julius Sterling Morton. Its sculptor, Littleton Alston, is the first Black sculptor to create a statue for the National Statuary Hall Collection. The Morton statue was relocated to a library in Nebraska City, Nebraska. * North Carolina: On October 2, 2015, North Carolina governor Pat McCrory signed a bill replacing the

of Charles Aycock with one of Reverend

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

. However, the replacement was delayed because the statues must represent deceased individuals; Reverend Graham did not die until February 2018. One week after Graham's death, McCrory's successor, Roy Cooper, submitted a formal request for replacement of the Aycock statue. The North Carolina Statuary Hall Selection Committee issued a request for proposals for the statue indicating a desired completion date of September 2020. The

was installed in National Statuary Hall in May 2024. * Ohio replaced its statue of William Allen with one of inventor and businessman

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

in 2016. Allen's statue was returned to his hometown of Chillicothe. * Utah: On April 4, 2018, Governor Gary Herbert signed legislation replacing its

Philo Farnsworth Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971), "The father of television", was the American inventor and pioneer who was granted the first patent for the television by the United States Government. Burns, R. W. (1998), ''Televisi ...

with a statue sculpted by Ben Hammond of Martha Hughes Cannon, the first woman elected as a

state senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

in US history. The statue of Martha Hughes Cannon was installed on December 12, 2024.

Replacement pending

*Michigan On December 6, 2022, the

Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Article IV of the Michigan Con ...

adopted a resolution to replace the state's

of Lewis Cass with a statue of Coleman Young, the first Black mayor of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. *Virginia: A state commission suggested to the Governor to replace Virginia's

of Robert E. Lee with one of civil rights activist Barbara Johns in December 2020. The statue of Lee was removed on December 21, 2020. The statue will be sculpted by Steven Weitzman and is expected to be installed in 2025. *Washington: Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill in April 2021 that starts the process to replace Washington's Marcus Whitman statue with one of Billy Frank Jr. The design of the new statue, created by Hai Ying Wu, was unveiled in January 2024, and is expected to be installed in 2025.

Considered for replacement

* California: A resolution to replace California's

of Junípero Serra with one of astronaut Sally Ride passed the state senate in April 2015, but the vote in the state assembly was placed on hold as the date for Serra's canonization as a saint approached. Governor

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

declared in July 2015 that the Serra statue would stay in the Capitol "until the end of time." * New Jersey: A bill to replace New Jersey's

of Philip Kearny with one of suffragist

Alice Paul Alice Stokes Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American Quaker, suffragette, suffragist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and one of the foremost leaders and strategists of the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment to the Unit ...

passed the state Senate on February 10, 2020.

Rejected replacements

* Maryland: In 2011, a citizens' petition was rejected by the

Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives, and the lower ...

. The petition requested that a statue of Harriet Tubman replace John Hanson, the 1781 President of the Continental Congress and a merchant slaveholder.

References

External links

Aoc.gov: Official National Statuary Hall Collection website

Aoc.gov: The origins of the National Statuary Hall Collection

Guide to State Statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection

Fas.org: "The National Statuary Hall: assignment, use, and historic events"
– ''from the

Congressional Research Service The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...

''. {{Coord, 38, 53, 23, N, 77, 00, 32, W, display = title Sculpture collections Sculptures in Washington, D.C. Statues in Washington, D.C.