Gutzon Borglum
(American, 1867 – 1941)
William Dempster Hoard
1922
Bronze and marble
Nestled in a garden, Gutzon Borglum’s sculpture of William Dempster Hoard is appropriately sited near the entrance to Agricultural Hall. Considered the father of the Wisconsin Dairy Industry, Hoard advocated for high standards and regulation at a time of agricultural modernization. He contributed to the early development of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agriculture and served as the 16th Governor of Wisconsin (1889-1891). Hoard gazes out distantly as if surveying land. Reclining rabbits flank each side of the bronze bust while carved cows peacefully graze in the marble panels below.
Gutzon Borglum is best known for carving Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and Stone Mountain near Atlanta. Although recognized for his work in stone, Borglum’s bronze monuments can be found throughout the United States. William Dempster Hoard nicely fuses both bronze and stone. Of the sculpture, the commissioning committee believed it “will be in daily view of thousands of students in the years to come, and will serve as an inspiration to lead them to a far better appreciation of the dignity of farming.” A plaster mold for the bust remains on view at the Hoard Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Location
William Dempster Hoard is located south of Agricultural Hall at the intersection of Henry Mall and Linden Drive.
Bibliography
Wisconsin Historical Society, Historical essay on William Dempster Hoard.
Hoard Historical Museum, Article on the William Hoard Sculpture.
Hurst, Frances W. and Fran Rall. Common Joy II: Outdoor Art in Madison. Madison: Frances W. Hurst, 1994.
Price, Willadene. Gutzon Borglum: The Man Who Carved a Mountain. McLean, Va: EPM Publications, Inc., 1961.
