re: Knoxville

quote:

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Torch bearer for what?

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"UT's official symbol—the Volunteer statue, more commonly known as the Torchbearer—holds up the torch of enlightenment in his right hand. He wears a sword as a symbol of security and holds in his left hand a globe with Winged Victory, a symbol of success and the individual's ability to make the most of his opportunities despite the world's challenges. The Jury of Award committee selected the original version of the Torchbearer as the winner of a nationwide student sculpture contest held by the UT classes of 1928-1931. The sculptor, T. Andre Beck of the Yale School of Fine Arts, won a $1,000 prize raised by the UT student body, and was a special guest at the Aloha Oe ceremony in the spring of 1931. The university had copyrighted use of the Torchbearer as its official symbol by 1932 and planned for a statue twenty-six feet high with its base, displayed in an amphitheater. However, due to the Great Depression, World War II, controversy over multiple versions of the design, and the estimated cost, the administration used only small replicas of the Torchbearer at Torch Night, and for souvenirs and student awards from 1937-1968. The nine-foot-tall statue with the sculptor's final design modifications was finally cast and unveiled in Circle Park on April 19, 1968."