MacNeil Month #2: Cornell University Connections ~ Celebrating the 145th anniversary of his birth –
ByUpon graduation from Massachusetts Normal Art School, MacNeil’s work was recognized with the award ‘first prize’ in his graduating class. This honor attracted the attention of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. They invited him to teach as Instructor of Industrial Art. His discipline there was sometimes described as ‘modeling’ – meaning sculpturing from live models.
Hermon Macneil's 'green likeness' of Ezra Cornel is what most Cornell students visualize ads "Dear Uncle Ezra".
For three years (1886-89), he taught on the faculty. It seems a formative time. He saved his money, followed his dreams, and resigned in 1889 to travel to Europe studying art in Paris. The Cornell University, wanting to stay connected to this promising young sculptor, told him they would hold his faculty position for him.
Upon returning to the USA, MacNeil decided to settle in Chicago, instead. The reason was that the Chicago Worlds Fair was generating commissions for Sculpture as part of this ‘modern’ extravaganza.
Yet despite Hermon MacNeil’s decision to not return to Cornell University, the ties and the mutual affection, have remained over the years as evidenced in the following:.
- In 1893, he was commissioned to sculpt a bust of the first dean of the Law School Judge Douglas Boardman . The work remains in Myron Taylor Hall, inside of the Rare Book Room (as seen in the above link).
- In 1930 he was asked to make a sculpture of Ezra Cornell, the founder of the school to grace the campus. A moving account of his experience of this sculpture will be posted later on this website.
- Later, toward the end of his life, he chose to archive his personal papers in the library at Cornell where they remain the largest repository of his records and correspondence, to this day. See MacNeil Personal Papers
MacNeil’s fingerprints remain on Cornell University to this day.
The upcoming post, MacNeil Month #3, will feature “Studies in Paris.”
