SALT LAKE CITY — A statue of Philo T. Farnsworth in the nation’s capital will soon be getting new digs at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The statue — one of two representing the Beehive State in National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. — will be replaced by a statue of Martha Cannon Hughes, the first woman to be elected as a state senator in the U.S.
The 7-foot, 6-inch bronze sculptor by Utan Ben Hammond will debut at the U.S. Capitol in August for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification giving women the right to vote.
Each state is allowed two renderings of historically significant figures — Cannon will be the 10th woman represented. The statue will join Latter-day Saint leader Brigham Young.
“It is an honor to have the statue of Philo T. Farnsworth at Utah Valley University,” Astrid Tuminez, the school’s president, said in a statement. “He exhibited a spirit of curiosity, a passion for knowledge, and an insatiable desire to discover, explore and make the world a better place through his inventions. His 160 patents contributed to life-changing and lifesaving technology that we take for granted today. We hope his likeness will inspire our students and faculty to open their minds to new possibilities and follow their dreams.”
The decision was announced Tuesday by the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee, which was tasked to oversee the creation and placement of a statue of Cannon.
According to the commission, proposals were evaluated based on several factors including the applicant’s connection to the inventor, their ability to maintain and care for the statue, the installation location and the number of visitors the statue will receive at its new location.
“Philo T. Farnsworth is an important part of the Utah story,” Adam Gardiner, a member of the committee, said in a statement. “It was important to us that we found a home for Philo that honored his place in our history and allowed visitors from all over the world to continue to visit the statue and learn about his pioneering legacy.”
Utah lawmakers voted to honor Cannon’s “pioneering spirit” during the 2018 Legislature by sending her to the U.S. Capitol. Cannon’s list of accomplishments is extensive. Though perhaps most well-known for being elected as the country’s first female state lawmaker in 1896, the Welsh immigrant was also a wife, mother and doctor. Cannon helped found Utah’s first State Board of Health and was Deseret Hospital’s first physician in residence.