Pyle statue to continue his IU legacy

Ernie Pyle’s legacy has become so engrained in the minds of journalists at IU that many mistake the school’s name for the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism.

With the implementation of the new Media School, many in the School of Journalism were afraid Pyle’s legacy would be lost with the addition of other departments.

Provost Robel addressed those concerns at the Board of Trustees meeting last Thursday announcing the making of an Ernie Pyle statue.

“It was important that the University honor Pyle’s legacy and the profound impact he’s had on generations of journalism scholars,” Ryan Piurek, IU director of news and media, said.  “This was always part of the discussion around the new Media School.

This sculpture will commemorate, in a tangible, lasting and visible way, his remarkable life and legacy.”

The statue is expected to be completed in time for the dedication of Franklin Hall as the Media School in 2015, Piurek said. It will be placed outside of Franklin Hall.

Owen Johnson, associate professor and journalism historian in IU’s School of Journalism, is part of the Ernie Pyle legacy committee that recommended a statue be built in Ernie Pyle’s honor.

“Ernie Pyle remains, for many journalists, an icon of excellence,” he said. “His superb reporting, his superb writing is still to be emulated today.”

The statue is based off of a photo taken of Pyle during World War II. 

He is sitting on a crate, working with his typewriter on a table, with goggles pushed above his knit cap.

Harold “Tuck” Langland is a sculptor and professor emeritus at IU-South Bend, and will sculpt the statue.

The crate might be expanded in order for students to sit with Pyle, much like they can with Herman B Wells and Hoagy Carmichael, Robel said.

Senior and journalism major, Becca DuPont, said the School of Journalism has taken a lot of pride in what Ernie Pyle did.

“For me, it goes back to traditional journalism, and we still hold that to be really important even though we are merging and moving forward with new technology,” she said.

Along with the statue, the committee is recommending several other ways of preserving Ernie Pyle’s legacy, including making an annual school competition to determine the best reporter, an annual symposium and even a block or plaza in Ernie Pyle’s name.

“We want to emphasize as well the inspiration that he can provide to young journalists in their reporting and writing,” Johnson said.

Many of the other goals of the legacy committee will take a while to complete and require some fundraising, Johnson said.

“We were lucky that the University found money right away for the statue, I think because the administration recognized how important it was as a symbol,” Johnson said.

Follow reporter
Kathrine Schulze on Twitter
@KatherineSchulze.