William McKinley Statue (Dayton, Ohio)

Following the assassination of President William McKinley in September 1901, a movement was initiated in Dayton to establish a memorial.^[2][3][4] The Board of Trade's executive committee was tasked with gauging public sentiment for a memorial.^[3] Although only about twenty responses were received from 450 circulars sent out, the committee interpreted this as a willingness of the public to defer the decision on the memorial's form to those responsible for its execution.^[3]

Early suggestions for a memorial varied widely, including proposals for public utilities such as a bridge or an institute building for the Y.M.C.A.^[3] However, a significant sentiment favored a memorial that would solely commemorate McKinley's character and worth, without being associated with other public works or benefits.^[3] In response to this, the committee recommended an appeal for funds to erect a bronze statue with a suitable inscription in "Library Park".^[3]

A resolution adopted by the Board of Trade aimed to raise $10,000, a sum deemed sufficient not only for the proposed statue but also for a contribution to the McKinley National Memorial Association for his tomb in Canton, Ohio.^[3] Any remaining surplus from the national association was intended to aid a memorial in Washington D.C.^[3] A committee, chaired by E. M. Thresher, was appointed to lead the fundraising efforts.^[3]

The responsibility for raising funds and overseeing the statue project was accepted by the Board of Trade, and later by the Chamber of Commerce upon consolidation.^[4] Fundraising efforts included significant contributions from Dayton's public school children, who donated pennies, raising approximately $550 by February 1902, with total contributions nearing $1,000 at that time.^[5][6][2][1] By January 1910, the fund had increased to over $3,000, which was sufficient for the purchase of the statue itself.^[4] The City Council subsequently appropriated funds for the erection of the statue's base.^[4]

Local discussions and public interest in the project were evident in early 1903, with calls to "get to work" and ensure the statue and a proposed drinking fountain would be ready for unveiling by early fall of that year, along with hopes of possibly having President Theodore Roosevelt in attendance.^[7] There was also a public sentiment expressed in 1903 comparing Dayton's slow progress to Toledo's, which had unveiled a $15,000 McKinley statue, with one editor of the Dayton Herald suggesting a "McKinley Statue Carnival and Street Fair" to expedite fundraising.^[8]

The William McKinley Statue was designed by the New York sculptor Augustus Lukeman, whose other works include the Stone Mountain sculpture and the Soldier's Monument in Prospect Park, New York.^[9] The bronze statue was cast in the foundry of John Williams in New York. The granite base was provided by city council.^[2]

The statue stands 8 feet, 4 inches (or 8.5 feet) high and, when mounted on its base, reaches a total height of 18 feet.^[9] The figure depicts McKinley wearing a suit and a long overcoat, with his right hand resting upon an American flag draped over banded arrows.^[2]

The statue is a copy of another McKinley statue located in North Adams, Massachusetts.^[2]

The monument features a plaque that reads: "This monument is a tribute by the citizens of Dayton and the children of its schools".^[2] The original bronze plaque was later stolen and subsequently replaced by the Dayton Rotary Club.^[2]