Everett McKinley Dirksen

This 11-foot bronze statue was commissioned by the Dirksen Memorial Commission and financed by the State of Illinois. Dirksen served Illinois for 35 years as a Republican Congressman and U.S. Senator. An elephant, donkey and oil can flank his figure, symbolizing his persuasive skills to get both Republicans and Democrats to cooperate and enact vital legislation. Dedicated on Sept. 16, 1976, seven years after his death, the monument also contains a cluster of marigolds, which Dirksen hoped would be named the national flower. Sculptor: Carl Tolpo, 1975