“Dream dreams, then write them aye, but live them first.” These words, etched in stone near the Samuel Eliot Morison Statue, encapsulate the spirit of this remarkable man. The Samuel Eliot Morison Statue stands here on Commonwealth Avenue Mall. It invites us to reflect on a life well-lived.
Samuel Eliot Morison was no ordinary historian. He was a Boston native. He was a sailor, a Harvard professor and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Morison loved New England. This statue commemorates a man of many passions.
Penelope Jencks created the Samuel Eliot Morison Statue. It was her first major statue. She is renowned for the Eleanor Roosevelt statue in New York City. The Samuel Eliot Morison Statue was dedicated on October 15, 1982.
Notice how Morison is dressed. He sports a casual windbreaker and a captain’s cap. Binoculars hang from his neck. A book is in his hand. He is ready for adventure. He seems to be gazing out at the sea. Perhaps he ponders his legacy.
The Samuel Eliot Morison Statue sits atop a twenty-ton granite rock from Rhode Island. Look closely at the base. Bronze casts of shells, starfish and crabs adorn the circular platform. They evoke the ocean’s edge.
Morison retraced Christopher Columbus’s journey to the New World. He wrote about it from personal experience. He also documented World War II as a naval officer. He believed in experiencing history firsthand. “I can’t write about a battlefield until I’ve been over it,” he declared.
His daughter, Emily Morison Beck, unveiled the Samuel Eliot Morison Statue. She said its location was perfect. She noted that her father was not looking at the sea. He was looking into history.
Morison won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1943. It was for his biography of Christopher Columbus. He won again for his biography of John Paul Jones. He authored nearly fifty books.
The statue faced criticism for his early writings on American slavery. He later revised his work to address these concerns. The Samuel Eliot Morison Statue serves as a reminder that historical figures are complex. Their values reflect the times in which they lived.
This statue was the first on Commonwealth Mall to be lit at night. The lighting highlights this piece of public art. It also enhances the beauty of the Mall.
The Samuel Eliot Morison Statue invites us to dream, to write and to live. It reminds us to immerse ourselves in history and in life. It inspires us to explore the world with curiosity and passion. May we all be so fortunate to leave such a lasting legacy.