"Ted & Ned" Statue Dedicated

It is a fortunate institution that can count within its stewardship men and woman of impeccable vision and leadership. The University of Notre Dame bears the benefit of having two such men at its helm for over 35 years. From 1952 until their joint retirement in 1987, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., and Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., guided the trajectory of the University’s growth with a focus on its Catholic identity and a celebration of human dignity.

Father Hesburgh’s influential role in national and international affairs over the past half century has made him a beloved figure the world over. His work with the United States Civil Rights Commission, among other organizations, has earned him over 150 honorary degrees in addition to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Father Joyce for his part played an integral role in defending the need for educational integrity in intercollegiate athletics. The University’s Athletic and Convocation Center, in addition to three endowed chairs, is named in his honor.

Beloved by students for decades, the two men were honored in 2005 with a statue commemorating both their achievements as well as their friendship. A bronze statue depicting the two men in conversation was dedicated and presented on behalf of the Class of 1953, the first class to graduate under Fathers Ted and Ned’s leadership. A representative of the class spoke at the October 22 ceremony, with a blessing from Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

The commission for the statue was given to Lou Cella of Fare Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany in Highwood, Illinois. Standing over seven feet tall, the dual sculpture contains a quote from each man upon its base. Father Hesburgh’s reads: “A Catholic university should be a beacon, bringing to light, in modern focus, the wonderfully traditional and ancient adage, ‘faith seeking understanding,’ it should be a bridge across all chasms that separate modern people from each other, and it should be a crossroads where all the intellectual and moral currents of our time meet and are truthfully considered.” Rev. Joyce’s reads: “Notre Dame is first and foremost a university and only insofar as it excels as a university can it give proper homage to the patroness who bears as one of her noble titles, Seat of Wisdom.”

Upon their retirement Fathers Hesburgh and Joyce set out to travel the United States together. Father Hesburgh’s often humorous recounting of their trip, Travels with Ted and Ned was later published in 1992. Though Father Joyce passed away in 2004 before seeing the sculpture completed, it stands in honor of the legacy the two men have left for future generations of students.

 

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