Recovery Update and Further Repairs to Mrs. Bradley Statue

As one Bradley Emerita once put it, “Lydia Moss Bradley was a small but sturdy woman.” Friday afternoon, July 13, the Mrs. Bradley statue proved just that as she withstood further treatment in regards to last month’s accident.

Repairs have gone according to plan and “Sculpture Doctor,” Professor Stolz, remains optimistic. He and adjunct faculty member Jaci Willis are completely in their element - as we saw today when they both sported their custom-designed welding jackets and prepared for the “procedure.”

“We complete these types of pours about twice a week,” added Stolz.

Together, local media and Bradley representatives watched closely as Stolz and Willis cast the 2,000+ degree bronze into a narrow mold. This new structure is meant to replace the old, unsalvageable base of the Mrs. Bradley statue.

The process included heating the bronze inside a crucible in the furnace. When the bronze started to melt, they began pre-heating the mold in the pour pit. When the metal was ready at the specific temperature, they manually poured the bronze into the mold with a pouring shank that holds the crucible.

“It’s a two-person job that goes quickly once it begins, and can only happen once,” said Stolz.

Now that the pour is complete, Stolz and Willis will wait a day or two to break open the mold and clean the bronze. They will also begin to cut the base, drill it, tap the holes for threads, as well as weld it into the bottom of the statue.

Mrs. Bradley has been under special and intensive care since she was struck in mid-June. While her injuries were minimal, there is still some remaining recovery time. We are anticipating a celebratory event once Lydia and the entire Bradley community return to campus.

Until then, we are continuously showing Mrs. Bradley her well-wishes. She was especially tickled by the Missouri Valley Conference responses and she wants to thank everyone for the overwhelming support.