Enrico Cerracchio


Enrico Cerracchio was an Italian-born American sculptor and painter. He designed many statues, including the 1925 Sam Houston Monument in Houston, Texas.

Early life

Cerracchio was born on March 14, 1880 in Castelvetere in Val Fortore, Italy. He emigrated to the United States in 1900, and he became a U.S. citizen in 1905.

Career

Cerracchio designed the Sam Houston Monument in Hermann Park, Houston, Texas in 1925. It was "one of the largest equestrian monuments" in the United States at the time. He designed the bust of Governor Miriam A. Ferguson in the Texas State Capitol and that of Confederate General John A. Wharton in the Texas State Cemetery. He also designed statues of Albert Einstein and John Nance Garner. He sculpted a bronze bust of Jesse H. Jones, which was unveiled at a "Jesse H. Jones Day" ceremony in Houston on December 26, 1934.

Personal life and death

With his wife Marion Kowalski, Cerracchio had a son and a daughter.
Cerracchio died on March 20, 1956 in New York City, at age 76. His funeral was held at Our Lady of Mercy's Church in The Bronx.