Lorado Taft

The famed sculptor of Illinois’ Alma Mater and many other works, Taft was also a notable instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he taught for 21 years. He later spent three decades as head of the Midway Studios at the University of Chicago. His significant works include The Solitude of the Soul, Fountain of the Great Lakes, and The Fountain of Time. In an era when women were barred from enrolling at some universities, Taft was unusual in the number of female students he educated and mentored, several of whom went on to become famous American sculptors.