Statue of Benjamin Franklin (Portland, Oregon)


A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands outside Franklin High School, in Portland, Oregon's South Tabor neighborhood, in the United States. A work by the sculptor George Berry and his assistants, it was installed in 1942.

Description and history

The sculpture was one of two Works Progress Administration projects benefitting Franklin between 1939 and 1942; the other was the construction of the school's athletic field. The statue was funded by Franklin alumni and students, who raised $15,000 to commission an artist from the Federal Art Project, one of WPA's five independent branches. George Berry and his team of assistants created a 40-ton sandstone statue of Franklin, which was erected at the school's north entrance, overlooking the athletic field, in 1942. Including its pedestal, the work measures tall. The pedestal includes built-in benches and the inscription, "One today is worth two tomorrows."
In 2016, the statue was removed temporarily and replaced as part of a major renovation project.