DSU Breaks Ground for Dr. Jerome Holland Statue

Delaware State University held an Oct. 23 groundbreaking ceremony in recognition of the campus site that has been selected for the planned Dr. Jerome Holland statue.

The statue will stand yet site is just inside the entrance of the campus pedestrian mall on the grassy triangle that is adjacent to the brick wall.

Dr. Holland was the sixth president of then-Delaware State College (1953-1960) and is credited with navigating the institution through the most challenging period of its history. At the time some were calling for the institution’s closure, but Dr. Holland was able to earn the support of then-Gov. J. Caleb Boggs and the Delaware General Assembly, resulting state financial support for the college that was unprecedented at the time.

“We are because he was,” said Dr. Donald A. Blakey, co-chair of the Holland Statue Committee. “Without his timely leadership, the College would not have survived and we would have never become Delaware State University.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by J.C. Boggs, the grandson of former Gov. J. Caleb Boggs. The former governor is credited with bringing Dr. Holland to Delaware to become the DSC president and for giving the College strong support through his tenure.

The University is currently seeking a sculpture artist to create the statue. A fundraising drive has also been launched to raise money for the project. For more info about Dr. Holland, the statue project and how to contribute, go to https://www.desu.edu/hollandstatue.