LocationThe Paseo & Truman Road, Kansas City, Mo |
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Artist/Designer: Tom Corbin
Dates: August 25, 1991
Photo Credit: Judith Burngen
Description:
Seven foot monumental bronze of the Reverend John Wesley Williams, civil rights activist and pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church, Kansas City, Missouri from 1944 to 1983. The statue of Reverend Williams wearing a coat and tie sits on a granite slab atop a truncated pyramid made of limestone. The base contains bronze tableture memorializing Reverend Williams. A limestone wall is located behind the statue which sits in a landscaped semi-circular feature area that contains concrete pavers and benches nearby. Tom Corbin, noted Kansas City sculptor, was selected in a national competition to sculpt the statue. Reverend Williams’ widow was so moved by Mr. Corbin’s clay bust of her husband that was submitted to the selection committee that Mr. Corbin’s selection was unanimous.
Inscription:
Dr. John Wesley Williams, January 2, 1906 to April 22, 1988. “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” (John 1:6) Fearless Prophet. Eloquent Preacher, Respected Leader, Loving Husband, Christian Statesman, Faithful Pastor, Loving Parent and World Citizen. Pastor, St. Stephen Baptist Church, 1944-1983
Nearly 200 hundred years after the area’s first fur trading post was settled on the bluffs of the Missouri River, Kansas City is preparing to honor the French pioneer Francois Chouteau who established it, and the Native Americans with whom he traded. Francois Chouteau...
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