| Statue of Nathan Hale | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Nathan_Hale_by_Bela_Lyon_Pratt_at_the_Chicago_Tribune,_Chicago,_IL,_USA.jpg) The statue in 2013 | |
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| Artist | Bela Pratt (original) Guido Gargani (replica) Leo Weissenborn (architect) |
| Completion date | June 4, 1940 |
| Medium | Bronze (sculpture) Granite (base) |
| Movement | Colonial Revival |
| Subject | Nathan Hale |
| Dimensions | 1.8 cm × 0.8 cm (6 in × 2.5 in) |
| Location | Tribune Tower Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| 41°53′26.4″N 87°37′26.3″W / 41.890667°N 87.623972°W | |
The bronze statue of Nathan Hale that stands in front of the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Illinois, is a replica of the one originally installed at Yale University in 1899. It honors an American hero from the Revolutionary War who was executed for spying on the Kingdom of Great Britain. The original statue was sculpted by Bela Pratt and the replica in Chicago by Guido Gargani. The architect who designed the statue's granite base was Leo Weissenborn. The statue was located in the Nathan Hale Courtyard until the conversion of the Tribune Tower into residential units, when it was moved to face the building along Michigan Avenue.
The idea to erect the statue was by Chicago Tribune founder, Robert R. McCormick, a World War I veteran who became a staunch isolationist during the lead up to World War II. He had been a longtime supporter of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, which prepares students to enter the military. He wanted to install a statue of an American patriot and dedicate it to younger generations, who he hoped would show the same courage. The statue was first displayed at WGN's radio studio during a special event. The dedication and unveiling took place a few months later on June 4, 1940. It was attended by tens of thousands of onlookers and the parade was composed of 10,000 ROTC cadets.