Young Memorial

Located just outside of the Young-Wise Memorial stadium on the Hendrix College Campus, the Young Memorial honors the six students who died during World War I. Five died from diseases and one was killed in action. The memorial, which is named after Lt. Robert W. Young, the student killed in combat, is the most elaborate World War I memorial in the state. It depicts a life-sized statue of a uniformed American soldier (a "doughboy") standing on top of a curved, stone seat. He is holding a rifle at his side and is wearing a wide-brimmed hat. The seat features carved relief designs depicting figures symbolizing peace and liberty. The memorial is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A student organization called the Hendrix Memorial Association came up with the idea for the memorial in 1919. Working with a professor, they raised money from students, alumni, and, presumably, from other sources. The memorial was designed by a substitute Latin teacher whose father was a marble dealer in Indiana. Construction started in the spring of 1920 and it was hoped that the memorial would be finished by early June. However, because of delays it wasn't finished until November. It was unveiled outside of Tabor Hall in a ceremony on the 21st.

In 1923, the memorial was moved to the western side of the campus outside of the old stadium, which was demolished in 1973. It was then moved to a temporary location and restored by an art professor. In 1974, the memorial was moved near its original location. It appears to have remained there until 2013 when it was relocated to its current spot outside of the stadium. It is now part of a plaza that features another memorial honoring two brothers who were killed fighting in Afghanistan.

There are two accounts of how Lt. Robert W. Young died. One states that he was killed in the French town of Aincreville. While entering a building to find German soldiers, he was shot and mortally wounded by Germans on the other side of the street. In the other account, a sniper shot and killed Young in the Argonne Forest while he was trying to stop a German soldier from bayonetting wounded Americans. The other five men died of disease, including influenza, at various times.

Christ, Mark. "Young Memorial." Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Last Updated January 1, 2016. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/young-memorial-8417.

Christ, Mark. "Young Memorial." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. July 19, 1996. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/fa0875s-nr.pdf?sfvrsn=b4489ffc_0.

"Hendrix College to Honor Alumni Veterans with New Facility and Memorial." Hendrix College. November 11, 2012. https://www.hendrix.edu/news/news.aspx?id=63146.

Schnedler, Jack. "Conway memorials honors war dead." October 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20181127031723/https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/oct/24/conway-memorial-honors-war-dead-2017102.