Cumberland University will unveil a 7-foot tall, bronze statue of prominent alumnus Cordell Hull outside of Memorial Hall on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. The statue will be dedicated by Former Vice President Al Gore, whose grandfather was close friends with Cordell Hull. 

This ceremony is part of the month-long Cordell Hull Peace Forum sponsored by Middle Tennessee Electric and the Tennessee Valley Authority to honor the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, “Father of the United Nations” and one of Cumberland’s most notable alumni. 

When accomplished sculptor Alan LeQuire was selected to create a commemorative likeness, he was excited to depict Cordell Hull in a unique way. 

“We all know Cordell Hull as an elder statesman,” said LeQuire. “With this project I was able to explore what he looked like as a younger man just after he would have been a student at Cumberland University. I managed to find some early photographs of him as a dapper young attorney that I used as reference for this portrait.” 

LeQuire’s work is featured at many locations around Nashville and the state including the Parthenon, the Nashville Public Library and Music Row.

The statue will be unveiled by LeQuire during the kickoff event on Oct. 1 and will permanently reside in front of Cumberland’s iconic Memorial Hall. 

Cumberland University is accepting reservations for the Oct. 1 ceremony and will require all attendees wear masks and follow COVID safety protocols both indoors and outdoors, as it is expected to be a large gathering. To RSVP, please email Executive Director of Community Relations and External Affairs Rusty Richardson at rrichardson@cumberland.edu. 

For more information on the Peace Forum, visit https://www.cumberland.edu/cumberland-to-host-peace-forum-in-honor-of-cordell-hull/.