James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915
James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915

© Estate of Elisabeth Gordon

James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915
James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915

Currently not on view

James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915,

ca. 1958

Elisabeth Gordon, American, 1913–2006
PP364
Voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by his senior class, Princeton alumnus James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915, became the nation's first Secretary of Defense and oversaw the unification of the U.S. military departments. This bronze was originally commissioned for an aircraft carrier that bore his name.
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More About This Object

Hear the Manager of Campus Collections (PP364)

Information

Title
James V. Forrestal, Class of 1915
Dates

ca. 1958

Maker
Elisabeth Gordon
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
62 x 47 x 22.9 cm (24 7/16 x 18 1/2 x 9 in.)
Credit Line
Princeton University
Object Number
PP364
Signatures
Signed, lower left side: Elizabeth Gordon
Inscription
on granite base: SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WAS JAMES FORRESTAL'S INTELLECTUAL PASSION WHETHER IT WAS STUDY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR, OR THE HIDDEN SOURCES OF MAN'S GREATEST MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ACHIEVEMENTS OR HOW TO CREATE A TOOL OF PEACE OR A WEAPON OF WAR MORE ADVANCED AND EFFECTIVE THAN ANY MADE BEFORE. NO MEMORIAL TO HIS PUBLIC CAREER COULD BE AS FITTING AS THIS ONE, AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ITS PERFECT LOCATION. Arthur Crock
Marks/Labels/Seals
Painted, left side of bust over signature of Gordon: PP number.
Culture
American
Type
sculpture, bronzes
Materials
bronze
Subject
busts, men, memorials

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