Churchill Memorial Dedication
Posted: 05.13.2011 at 7:25 AM
Updated: 05.14.2011 at 11:55 AM
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FULTON, MO. -- This year marks the 65th anniversary of Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech.

 

And Friday more than 100 people gathered at Westminster College for the unveiling of a new sculpture to commemorate the famous man.

 

Winston Churchill's granddaughter Edwina Sandys dedicated the new sculpture of her grandfather on Westminster's campus.

 

The sculpture sits just outside of the National Churchill Museum.

 

"The sculpture wonderfully captures the historic moment when my grandfather on March 6, 1946 uttered words that powerfully resonated around the world," Sandys said.

 

Sandy's is referring to Churchill's speech when he said, “From Stetting in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent.”

 

The sculpture showcases the moment when Churchill delivered the famous Iron Curtain line at Westminster College.

 

Today is the latest in a chain of events that started over 60 years ago," Sandys said.

 

The artist, Don Wiegand, had two requirements for the sculpture.

 

First, it had to be a signature piece that would be different from every Churchill sculpture out there.

 

"And second, it must contain the dramatic gesture of Churchill saying an iron curtain has descended," sculpture contributor Dick Mahoney said.

 

Sandys said the sculpture gives the Churchill Museum a dramatic entrance.

 

"It allows us today, and others in the future to experience for themselves and to be a part of that magnificent moment of history, which is still so relevant today," Sandys said.

 

The statue was donated by Richard Mahoney, a longtime supporter of the museum and Churchill's legacy.

 

The artist, Don Wiegand, is responsible for numerous pieces in the St. Louis area and around the world.

 

His artwork can be seen at the Anheuser-Busch Visitors Center, the Cathedral Basilica and Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

 

He also has work on display at the White House and the Vatican.