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Dedication of the sculpture of The Rev. Arthur Hardge.

The Reverend Dr. Elias Hardge Jr., Hardge's brother, gave the benediction.

The senior choir of the Community Baptist Church in Newport opened the dedication with the hymn "We've Come This Far by Faith."

Linda Harge-Winn, Harge's daughter, addresses the gathering.

Hardge's son and daughter, Marc and Bethany Hardge, embrace after the dedication.

The statue was designed and executed by renowned sculptor Arnold Prince, right, and the project was overseen by Art Professor Robert Dilworth, left.

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Photos By Photos by Nora Lewis and Michael Salerno.

Honoring a Life and Legacy

On September 12, 2000, the coverings were lifted unveiling the impressive bronze sculpture of The Rev. Arthur L. Hardge, a noted civil rights leader who helped improve the lives and prospects of minorities living in Rhode Island. Hardge died of heart disease in 1983.

The sculpture sits on a 6-ft. pedestal on the plaza in front of the Multicultural Center in the heart of the Kingston Campus.

A descendent of a man who had his fingers lopped off for teaching and preaching, "the Rev," as Hardge was affectionately known, was the first director of URI's Special Programs for Talent Development. The 31-year-old program for disadvantaged students began with 13 students and now enrolls 600. Its more than 1000 alumni have careers in nearly every profession, including medicine, law, business, higher education, and engineering.

URI President Robert L. Carothers dedicated the sculpture and authored the inscription of Hardge's life and legacy that is engraved on a plaque on the pedestal.

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