Schuyler Colfax

This sculpture is a portrait of and memorial to Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), an Indiana-bred politician who served as the 17th Vice President of the United States during Ulysses S. Grant’s first term.  He was the first-ever vice president from Indiana. Colfax also served Indiana as a representative in Congress and rose to be Speaker of the House under President Abraham Lincoln. Before taking office he had worked as a journalist for the Indiana State Journal, the South Bend Free Press, and the St. Joseph Valley Register.  Known for his genial attitude and anti-slavery stance, Colfax was highly popular in the then-new Republican Party and was nicknamed “Smiler” Colfax by his fellow representatives.  After his political career was over, Colfax was well regarded for his public speaking about the Lincoln years.

The sculpture, originally placed in the southwest quadrant of University Park, now resides on the eastern side of the park, facing Pennsylvania Street. It was commissioned by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1887:  Colfax had been active in the organization and had designed the Rebekah Degree, the Odd Fellows’ first affiliated organization for women.  The relief plaque on the base of the sculpture depicts the Biblical story of Rebecca and Eliezer at the well, in reference to this accomplishment.  On the northwest and southwest sides of the pedestal are additional I.O.O.F. emblems, a shield and a medieval tent with crossed staves.

The artist, Lorado Zadoc Taft, was a young Chicago-based sculptor at the time of the commission.  Taft eventually became renowned for his technical expertise and his traditional European style, which he applied to architectural ornament, fountains, and decorative sculpture. In addition to being a beloved teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Taft was known for welcoming and encouraging female students and apprentices, a group that few other sculptors of his time were willing to take on.