William the Silent | |
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Artist | Toon Dupuis (1877–1937) after Lodewyk Royer (1793–1868); Fonderie Nationale des Bronzes |
Year | 1920 |
Type | Bronze sculpture, granite base |
Location | New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States |
40°30.087′N 74°26.877′W / 40.501450°N 74.447950°W | |
Owner | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
Accession | Dedicated June 9, 1928 |
A bronze statue of William the Silent (also known as Willie the Silent and Still Bill) was installed in 1928 on the Voorhees Mall section of Rutgers University's College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is along Seminary Place, a street at the western end of the Voorhees Mall, and near several academic buildings, including the university's Graduate School of Education, Van Dyke Hall, and Milledoler Hall.
The statue is of William I, Prince of Orange (1533–1584), an early leader of the Dutch revolt against Habsburg Spain which led to the Netherlands' independence in 1648. It was donated by Dr. Fenton B. Turck to commemorate the university's Dutch heritage. Turck, with the assistance of railroad executive and Rutgers alumnus Leonor F. Loree, arranged the anonymous donation through the Holland Society of New York.
The statue has continued to be part of student life as the Voorhees Mall had been the site of student and community events, including graduation ceremonies, pep rallies, festivals, and protests. It has occasionally been a target of vandalism in the historical rivalry between students of Rutgers and Princeton University. It was restored in 2006 in an effort funded by alumni donations.