Florida State Unveils Statue of Penn State President Eric Barron

Florida State University last week unveiled a life-sized bronze statue of current Penn State President Eric Barron, honoring his work as president there from 2010-14.

“If we look around, Dr. Barron’s legacy is everywhere,” John Thrasher, the current President of Florida State, said in a release. “The statue we are about to unveil ensures that future generations will know about his contributions to the university.”

Barron and his wife, Molly, were in Tallahassee to attend the statue’s unveiling. The life-sized statue depicts Barron sitting, and it’s located just outside Florida State’s new Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science building to commemorate Barron’s effort in making the building a reality.

During his term as the Florida State’s president, Barron launched the project that led to the building’s construction. Thrasher responded by commissioning the statue after taking Barron’s former position in 2014. Additionally, Barron also played an integral role in creating the university’s Student Veterans’ Center. The center supports any students who served in the military before enrolling at Florida State.

“I may not be here, but I spend a lot of time watching,” Barron said in a release. “And I just can’t tell you how proud I am of what this university has been doing.”

The statue was created by Florida State’s in-house Master Craftsman Studio, which was created in 1999. Former university president T.K. Wetherell began Florida State’s tradition of commissioning a statue for the previous university president, and Barron’s is the latest to be officially unveiled in Tallahassee.