Beneficence

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This article is about the Ball State University statue. For other uses, see Beneficence (disambiguation).

Ball State University campus

Beneficence
Use	Statue
Style	Memorial
Erected	1937
Location	Old Quad
	40°11′54″N 85°24′37″W / 40.19827271°N 85.41027832°W / 40.19827271; -85.41027832Coordinates: 40°11′54″N 85°24′37″W / 40.19827271°N 85.41027832°W / 40.19827271; -85.41027832
Architect	Daniel Chester French (Statue) Richard Henry Dana (Landscape)
Medium	Bronze
Website	Beneficence

Beneficence is a bronze statue on the campus of Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana. It is referred to as "Benny" by the students.

[edit] History

In 1930, a small group of men decided to establish a permanent symbol of Muncie and Ball State University's gratitude for the Ball family's extensive generosity.

This group commissioned renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French, who sculpted the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., and named it Beneficence which he felt aptly described the feelings of the community and the actions of the Ball brothers. Finally erected in the midst of the Great Depression, Beneficence has become a chief icon of the University, and it symbolizes the selflessness of the Ball family in their affection for the community.

Beneficence's hand stretches out to welcome new students to campus. The treasure box she holds in her other arm represents the treasure education can offer. Her wings represent the flight into the world that take place when students graduate. The five pillars behind the statue represent the Ball Brothers, for whom the university is named after.

Beneficence has a sister statue located in the Boston Gardens Park in Boston, Massachusetts, which holds a dish instead of a box.

[edit] Lore

Students on campus have been said to believe that if you sit at Beneficence's steps and kiss your true love, Benny's wings will flap, only if the eyes of the students are closed. Another myth is that the 5 urns above the pillars hold the Ball Brother's ashes, which is proven incorrect because they are buried in Beech Grove Cemetery.^[1] Another lesser known myth is that if a virgin graduates from Ball State, Benny will cry tears of blood, or fly away. ^[2]