Born out of a controversy over the University’s stance on the war in Vietnam, the stainless-steel Peace Symbol on College Green has witnessed many subsequent protests and vigils—as well as generations of sun-seeking Penn students—since it was dedicated on January 27, 1970. Last year, in honor of their 50th Reunion, the cohort of students who arrived on campus the following fall decided to refurbish the area and create a garden to complement the sculpture, along with an endowment to maintain the space.
The completed Class of 1974 Peace Garden was dedicated during this year’s Alumni Weekend in May. In remarks at the ceremony, Penn President J. Larry Jameson praised the Class’s choice—“the purpose of this peace garden is really very encouraging”—and noted his own fondness, as a “pacifist at heart,” for the sculpture as “just a very memorable part of Penn’s campus.”
As detailed in the Daily Pennsylvanian of the time, the idea of a peace monument emerged from a debate during the fall of 1969 over whether to fly US flags at the University at half-staff as a protest against the Vietnam War. For a while in the midst of it, flags didn’t fly at all, sparking protests from within and beyond the campus, including a potential loss of government support. Peace Symbol—designed by history of art professor John McCoubrey and constructed by a team of students supervised by fine arts professor Robert Engman—was embraced as an alternative gesture to mourn those killed in the war.
Class of 1974 copresident Susan Danilow CW’74 G’74 called the peace garden project the “brainchild” of William “Bill” Hohns W’74, who said it also symbolized how “a university can go through a period of tumult and come out of that stronger than ever before.” He and class leaders worked with University Architect Mark Kocent C’82 GCP’91 GFA’91 on plans for the garden, which was designed by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and installed by Green City Works, a contractor in University City. Incorporating fieldstone and seasonal plantings, it features a pair of raised stone markers commemorating the garden and the original dedication of the Peace Symbol.
The garden will also serve as a space for the Penn community to conduct memorials, in a move that had been advocated by student groups and supported by University chaplain and vice president for social equity and community Charles “Chaz” Howard C’00, who also spoke at the dedication.
“By way of blessing,” he concluded, “may this new garden be a peaceful place. May it be a reminder of our work for peace. May it be a cleft in the rock for students who need a quiet moment. May it be arms for those who need a hug during hard times. And may it stand as a reminder that we are never alone.”
—JP
