FSU Legacy Walk

The FSU Legacy Walk is a historical tour of the Florida State University campus, winding through the entire campus with stops showcasing architecture, green spaces, history and artwork. Legacy Walk medallions and garnet banners are placed to guide visitors along the mostly concrete paths. Raised brick podia display information and maps describing events and people are positioned at intervals on the walk. Bronze statues and monuments reflect the pride and history of the school's alumni and students.

History
Florida State University's Legacy Walk was a campus improvement project that began in 1989 by FSU President Bernard F. Sliger in preparation for FSU's sesquicentennial. The intent was to reflect on the school's history and major successes of the first 150 years. The first annual celebration named Heritage Day was held in 2001.

Phase I
FSU unveiled phase I in October 2004, focusing on architecture, green spaces and sculpture. The Eppes section was named for the university's founder, Francis Eppes. It includes the eastern side of campus, beginning at the Eppes statue near the Westcott Building entrance. Surrounding the path are symbols and banners that guide visitors past the most historic buildings. At regular intervals, brick podia are located along the walk that contain maps and other important information about FSU events and people. The walk ends at Dodd Hall.

Phase II
Student Legacy Walk is the second phase and begins at the Legacy Fountain Sculptures on Landis Green. It passes through the center of student activity, highlights past student leaders and exists as a legacy to present students and those in the future. Banners depict campus life and guides visitors from the north Landis Green to the Department of History in the Bellamy Building, around to the newly constructed Student Union and passes the Integration Statue before circling the Student Services Building and returning to Landis.

Phase III
Science Legacy Walk is the third phase and includes the area of campus dedicated to advances in science and research. Beginning at the Integration Statue on Call Street it passes the Paul Dirac Science Library and the College of Nursing in Duxbury Hall, past the renovated Stone building, home to the College of Education, then the College of Medicine, established in 2006. This area of campus represents more than $800 million in new construction and renovations. State-of-the-art psychology, medicine, biological science and chemistry buildings have created the campus research quadrangle in the campus's northwest corner. The Nobel Laureates Walkway is there containing seven memorials, and status of Dale W. Lick and Sandy D'Alemberte, the eleventh and twelfth presidents of FSU, respectively.

Heritage Days

 * Fifty years of Racial integration was the theme of the fourth annual Heritage Day January 30, 2004. The Integration sculpture was dedicated to "all those young men and women who helped make FSU rich in diversity". The three figures represent the first black FSU graduate, the first black to wear an FSU athletic uniform, and the first black homecoming princess.


 * At the sixth annual Heritage Day, the Suwannee Room in the 1914 William Johnson Building was dedicated following a major restoration. When it first opened, the soaring ceilings were similar to Christ Church, Oxford. It was commonly known as the "Dining Hall" for five decades until closing in the late 1960s. A new marble obelisk on Landis Green was unveiled to honor recipients of the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professors award.


 * The tenure of tenth FSU President Bernard F. Sliger was celebrated and his statue was unveiled at the 7th annual Heritage Day in 2007.


 * Legacy Walk phase II was dedicated on the eighth annual Heritage Day January 19, 2008 with the newly completed statue of ninth FSU President J. Stanley Marshall.


 * The ninth annual Heritage Day began with the dedication the Edward Conradi statue, the fourth president from 1909 to 1941. It was announced that the Werkmeister Humanities Reading Room will become the home for the new FSU Heritage Museum. The green space along Jefferson street was dedicated as the Greek Park, where sororities and fraternities could leave leadership legacies. The Chi Omega sorority celebrated their centennial with the 'Three Sisters' bronze statue. The university also celebrated the completion of a 15-year project that renovated the seven historic residence halls.


 * Passing the Torch was the theme of the tenth annual Heritage Day. Departing President T. K. Wetherell said his final goodbyes and incoming President Eric Barron thanked everyone who helped make FSU a great Institution.


 * For the eleventh annual Heritage Day, sixteen stained glas windows were unveiled and dedicated on April 8, 2011 in the Werkmeister Humanities Reading Room at Dodd Hall. The windows were created by students enrolled in the Master Craftsman Program at FSU over a dozen years with money from private gifts and donations of individuals, classes and other groups. Six different groups of students worked on the windows, guided by Bob and Jo Ann Bischoff.


 * In 2012, the twelfth Annual Heritage Day was held on April 20 and included a rededication of Mina Jo Powell Alumni Green. The class of 2012 created a memorial garden on the green, and tours of the new Heritage Museum was given.

FSU Heritage Museum
During the life of Dodd Hall, the Werkmeister Humanities Reading Room was a studio for WFSU-TV and a library honoring Florida Senator Claude and Mildred Pepper. In late 2009, renovation began for it to serve as a museum. It is intended to evolve over time and not be a static collection. The museum displays photographs, ephemera, and artifacts that document the history of the university. The stained glass windows from 2011 were a preview of the museum's future.

Statue controversy
The Eppes Statue was unveiled in 2002 by FSU President Sandy D'Alemberte and became the starting point for FSU's Legacy Walk. In 2016 the group Students for a Democratic Society petitioned the Student Government Association to rename Eppes Hall and remove the statue of Francis W. Eppes, who was a slave owner. A referendum was held and students voted 70% to keep the statue. However, the statue was removed from the Legacy Walk in July 2018, though it was soon relocated to Mina Jo Powell Alumni Green in May 2019.

In July 2020, FSU President John Thrasher ordered the Eppes statue permanently removed from campus display and announced the formation of a President's Task Force on Anti-Racism, Equality, and Inclusion.