In honor of my upcoming appearance at Dickinson College, I thought I’d find something on campus that weighs more than me.  And it didn’t take me long to settle on Big Ben.  I’m not talking about the big clock in London here.  Nope, by Big Ben, I mean the large bronze statue of Benjamin Rush that was unveiled at the college on June 11, 2004.  The sculpture is actually a replica of one accepted precisely 100 years earlier by President Theodore Roosevelt as a gift from the medical profession to the nation.

Benjamin Rush is an important person to both American history and the history of Dickinson college.  He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was an important figure in psychology and medicine.  He fought against slavery, and for universal education (for both boys and girls) and for universal health.  He also fought for women’s rights and better treatment of patients with mental illness.  Benjamin Rush was one of the first to envision Dickinson College and served as an important trustee from the founding of the College until his death.

Let’s look at the statue stats:

First statue to grace Dickinson Colllege

Material: Bronze

Artist: Recast from statue originally created by Roland Hinton Perry

Height: 7 ft.

Weight: 568 pounds

Conclusion: Big Ben weighs more than me.