The Joe Paterno statue was removed Sunday morning from its pedestal outside Beaver Stadium, Penn State president Rodney Erickson said that it will be stored in an unnamed “secure location,” but the Paterno name will remain on the university’s library.
The work crew then removed the 7-foot, 900-pound bronze statue by forklift and placed it into the lower level of the stadium. Erickson released his highly sensitive decision to the public at 7 a.m. ET Sunday.
As workers moved the statues, 100 to 150 students watched, some chanting, “We are Penn State.”
Erickson released a statement saying, “I now believe that, contrary to is original intention, Coach Paterno’s statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to hearing in our university and beyond. For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location.”
“I fully realize that my decision will not be popular in some Penn State circles, but I am certain it is the right and principled decision,” he said.
Some critics had also called for the Paterno family name to be removed from the library. But Erickson said no.
“The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno’s commitment to Penn State’s student body and academic success,” Erickson said, “and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the university. Thus I feel strongly that the library’s name should remain unchanged.”
The decision came 10 days after a scathing report by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh found that Paterno, with three other top Penn State administrators, had concealed allegations of child sexual abuse made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
The Paterno family said the statue’s removal “does not serve the victims of Jerry Sandusky’s horrible crimes or help heal the Penn State community.” in their statement.
“We believe the only way to help the victims is to uncover the full truth,” said the family, which vowed its own investigation following the release of the Freeh report. The family called the report “the equivalent of an indictment — a charging document written by a prosecutor — and an incomplete and unofficial one at that.”
The statue was built in 2001 in honor of Paterno’s record-setting 324th Division I coaching victory and his “contributions to the university.”
Erickson said the decision to remove the statute but keep the Paterno name on the library is one that “both recognizes the many contributions that Joe Paterno made to the academic life of our university while taking seriously the conclusions of the Freeh Report and the national issue of child sexual abuse. Today, as every day, our hearts go out to the victims.
A lot of people were upset about the removal of the statue without any notice
“I think there’s ways you can punish the parties involved without affecting all of State College,” said Richard Hill, a 1967 graduate from West Chester.
“I think it was an act of cowardice on the part of the university,” Mary Trometter of Williamsport, who wore a shirt bearing Paterno’s image. She said she felt betrayed by university officials, saying they promised openness but said nothing about the decision until just before the removal work began.
The statue’s sculptor, Angelo Di Maria, said he was upset to hear it had been taken down.
“It’s like a whole part of me is coming down. It’s just an incredibly emotional process,” he said.
“When things quiet down, if they do quiet down, I hope they don’t remove it permanently or destroy it,” Di Maria said. “His legacy should not be completely obliterated and thrown out. … He was a good man. It wasn’t that he was an evil person. He made a mistake.”
