Statue of Nathan Hale (Chicago)

The bronze statue of Nathan Hale that stands in front of the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Illinois, is a replica of the one originally installed at Yale University in 1899. It honors an American hero from the Revolutionary War who was executed for spying on the Kingdom of Great Britain. The original statue was sculpted by Bela Pratt and the replica in Chicago by Guido Gargani. The architect who designed the statue's granite base was Leo Weissenborn. The statue was located in the Nathan Hale Courtyard until the conversion of the Tribune Tower into residential units, when it was moved to face the building along Michigan Avenue.

The idea to erect the statue was by Chicago Tribune founder, Robert R. McCormick, a World War I veteran who became a staunch isolationist during the lead up to World War II. He had been a longtime supporter of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, which prepares students to enter the military. He wanted to install a statue of an American patriot and dedicate it to younger generations, who he hoped would show the same courage. The statue was first displayed at WGN's radio studio during a special event. The dedication and unveiling took place a few months later on June 4, 1940. It was attended by tens of thousands of onlookers and the parade was composed of 10,000 ROTC cadets.

Memorial plans
Robert R. McCormick, founder of the Chicago Tribune, served in the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, with the 1st Infantry Division during World War I. McCormick wanted to erect a patriotic statue in front of the Tribune Tower, the longtime home to his newspaper. He chose Nathan Hale, who was executed by the Kingdom of Great Britain, due to his courage during the American Revolutionary War as a spy for the United States, and his idea that Hale could be an admirable hero to younger generations. The idea to erect the statue came during the Colonial Revival Movement, a time when Americans admired the spirit and culture of the Thirteen Colonies. This was reflected in monuments to colonial heroes, architecture, and gardens.

The statue was planned during the lead up to World War II, which was on the minds of those involved with the statue's dedication. Permission was granted by the widow of Bela Pratt, who sculpted the original statue in 1899 for Yale University, to make a copy. Yale is where McCormick, Pratt, and Hale had attended school. The original statue was borrowed and a plaster cast was made. Brooklyn sculptor Guido Gargani was chosen to create the statue for McCormick. Leo Weissenborn was the architect who designed the pedestal.

McCormick first revealed the statue on George Washington's birthday, February 22, 1940, at an event in the WGN radio studio. General Stanley H. Ford discussed Washington's history and contributions to America's founding in front of hundreds of cadets from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a program which McCormick greatly supported. Ford extolled the virtues of the ROTC program before McCormick unveiled the statue to those in the studio. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by cadets from Lane Tech College Prep High School followed by the WRC Orchestra playing Virginia Rhapsody and Carry Me Back to Old Virginny. The event ended with the 600 cadets in attendance singing The Star-Spangled Banner.

Dedication
The dedication of the statue took place a few months later, by which time, the Wehrmacht had invaded or bombed multiple countries in Europe. One day before the dedication, the Luftwaffe had bombed Paris. It was apparent to many in the crowd that day, the U.S. would soon be drawn into another war. This did not stop the festivities though. An estimated 75,000 people lined the streets on June 4, 1940, to watch 10,000 ROTC cadets march in a parade before the official unveiling of the statue. The parade of cadets began at Balbo Avenue, which had been renamed in 1933 in honor of fascist Italo Balbo after he visited Chicago. The group of cadets were from 27 area public schools and one parochial school. Cadets from Fenger Academy High School and Tilden High School had been inspected by military personnel and were chosen to lead the parade.

Onlookers watched as the cadets marched up Michigan Avenue, past the reviewing stand at Congress Plaza, and northward to Randolph Street, where all but the leading two schools ended their march. Amongst those in the reviewing stand were Mayor Edward Joseph Kelly, General Ford, Chicago Board of Education President James B. McCahey, Colonel William F. Morrison, who led the citywide ROTC program, businessman Howard P. Savage, who formerly led the American Legion, and numerous other local officials.

The cadets from Fenger and Tilden continued their march up Michigan Avenue, crossing the Chicago River, until ending at the Tribune Tower. WGN broadcast from the location beginning at 1:15pm, attended by the officials from the reviewing stand who had joined the ceremony, and thousands of people watching from Michigan Avenue. A chorus of 120 students from Hirsch Metropolitan High School and Lindblom Technical High School sang Adoramus Te Christe followed by a speech from Ford. An excerpt from his speech was "The democracy of youth passed in review today as a living tribute to the R.O.T.C., giving a reflection of the heroic youth of the past as represented by Nathan Hale, whose solemn and inspiring words are treasured by all of America as one of the noblest of lessons."

A local music teacher sang Recessional before the speech by McCormick, who was introduced as "the father of the R.O.T.C. in the city of Chicago", due to the longtime support of he and his newspaper to the program. McCormick, a staunch isolationist, spoke of the importance of being prepared when entering the U.S. armed forces, and how the ROTC program played a large role in this. He also spoke of the importance of U.S. military personnel dying only because they were fighting for the U.S., and not for another country's cause. After his speech, one of the cadets led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The last speaker was William Warren Sweet, a professor at the University of Chicago, who spoke about Hale's biography. Towards the end of his speech, Sweet said "I am sure in presenting this replica of the Nathan Hale statue at Yale University to the city of Chicago, picturing Nathan Hale on the way to the gallows, it has not been the donor's purpose to glorify war...Rather this statue has been placed here that it may serve as an inspiration to the young men and women of this and future generations that they, too, might be imbued with that highest patriotism, which is willing to completely eliminate self for the highest good of mankind." Two cadets then unveiled the statue as a WGN musician sang The Star-Spangled Banner. This was followed by a school choir singing Deep River and a wreath laid at the statue by students from Chicago's Nathan Hale Elementary School.

Later history
Beginning in 2015, the statue was included in an audio art project called "Statue Stories Chicago", whereby the background of select statues, sculptures, and other inanimate objects of interest, are available to the public via a telephone call. After scanning a QR code at the Hale statue, a script written by Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones is read by actor Jon Michael Hill. The Hale statue is one of ten statues in Chicago dedicated to people related to the Revolutionary War, most of which are located downtown or along the Chicago River. When the Tribune Tower was vacated and converted into residential units, part of a $1 billion construction project that will include the Tribune East Tower, the statue was moved to a space along Michigan Avenue where it is accessible to people with disabilities.

Location and design
The statue is located in front of the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Illinois, near the DuSable Bridge. It stands just outside the Nathan Hale Courtyard, a small public plaza which faces Michigan Avenue. The bronze statue of Hale is 6-feet (1.8 m) tall and 2.5-feet (0.8 m) wide. It stands on a granite base that is 3.5-feet (1.1 m) tall and 3-feet (0.9 m) in diameter. Hale is depicted staring straight ahead, feet bound, moments before his execution, when he said "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." His attire includes a britches, vest, long coat, and shoes adorned with large buckles. His long hair is pulled back into a ponytail.

Inscriptions on the statue and base include:

B. L. PRATT I REGRET THAT I HAVE BUT ONE LIFE TO LOSE FOR MY COUNTRY (wrapped around the bottom of the statue) NATHAN HALE/1755-1776/DEDICATED TO THE/RESERVE OFFICERS/OF AMERICA/ERECTED 1940 BY/THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE (front of base)