ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It was a beautiful day at Rollins College Thursday as the school unveiled a statue honoring its famous alum, Fred McFeely Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers.
Rogers graduated from Rollins College in 1951.
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The sculpture, titled “A Beautiful Day for a Neighbor,” was commissioned to honor Rogers’ legacy and was designed by British artist Paul Day, who is renowned for his public monuments.
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“This inspirational sculpture will be a permanent reminder of the ideals and values modeled by Mister Rogers as he set out to make the world a better place,” Rollins President Grant Cornwell said in a news release. “This tribute will reinforce the quest for empathy, acceptance and kindness so needed in our society today.”
See more photos in the gallery below:
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The 360-degree sculpture is located in the Chapel Garden next to the Annie Russell Theatre behind the Virginia S. Nelson Rose Garden. The finished piece is cast in bronze that stands over 7 feet tall and weighs more than 3,000 pounds.
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Rogers transferred to Rollins in 1948 from Dartmouth and majored in music composition. He was involved in various extracurricular activities and causes.
The statue is the fifth stop on the Mister Rogers Walking Tour. Click here for more information.
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