Arnold Palmer Statue

The historical marker honors Arnold Palmer (1929-2016), a professional golfer who grew up in Latrobe, PA. He is very known in Latrobe, he learned to fly at the airport where the marker is located. The airport is right down the street from his country club that has been passed down generations. The Latrobe Country Club is across from his home. He is also known for the iced tea named after him. He went around the world, touching many hearts with the love of golf and kindness he had. He and his wife had set up many foundations to help children who are sick and in need of help. The historical marker was installed on his birthday in 2007. The sculpture is a over-life sized bronze of Arnold Palmer. 

Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is located in Latrobe, PA. This airport is named after Arnold Palmer, the famous golfer, who has a statue dedicated to him at the airport, the statue was dedicated to him on his birthday in 2007. Arnold Palmer was born on September 10^th, 1929 and had passed unfortunately in 2016. He had grew up in Latrobe and went all over the world for golf. The statue at the airport is there because the community wanted to showed their appreciation of Arnold Palmer. This historical marker explains Palmer how well-rounded he was with people. It tells his life when he was young, explains golf, and how he influenced many lives.

Being born on September 10^th, 1929 Arnold Palmer started his legacy in high school. Being born and raised in Latrobe, PA Palmer went to Latrobe High School, there he was a golfer for the school. He had won many local and state championships through his time in high school. Some championships he had won were the high state championship, US Open, and US Amateur.  After high school, Palmer had gotten a scholarship to Wake Forest College in Florida[1]. After college he had served in the U.S. Coast Guard for three.  Palmer loved to fly [2], he learned to fly at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in his hometown. Before they had renamed the airport to Arnold Palmer Regional it was Westmoreland County Airport at Latrobe. 

Arnold Palmer has a golf course that was passed down from many generations to him. The Latrobe Country Club has gone through three generations of the Palmer family [3], in 2020 the had celebrated 100 years of the Country Club. When Palmer first inherited the club he began the improvements of the course and club. Adding tennis courts, practice range, dining room, patio, and other things that needed remodeling. The logo for the golf course randomly came to Arnold, he had saw a women with an umbrella  that was multicolored and those four colors then became what the logo is today. 

Throughout Palmer’s career of golf he traveled many places, like Florida, Ireland, North and South Carolina, California, and Scotland. All of those places that were just named, Palmer had left his spirit there. At those locations he had impacted them and made golf what it is today. He has won seven  majors, throughout this career Palmer had won 62 PGA tour titles from 1955 to 1973. He had come runner-up in majors ten times, after he had hit senior age he had won 5 senior PGA tours. Palmer had a successful golf career and is fifth on the all-time victory list. 

Arnold Palmer had influenced many people around him, his biggest influence was golf. People had said how down-to-earth his was [4]. Many were impacted with how he treated everyone the same and helped everyone he could [5]. He was the one of the most beloved figures in the golf and sports world [6] news articles had said. Impacting his community he had made a difference, how he helped others with golf and creating the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College. The Reserve helps protect the scenery of the Basilica and Campus [7], the Environmental Learning Barn is the center point of the reserve. The family had finished creating this reserve in 2000, after Winnie Palmer had passed away in 1999. Throughout the time Winnie and Arnold had been together they had created foundations that help the youth. 

The Arnold Palmer statue is very important to Latrobe, PA. The statues represents a person who opened people’s eyes and gave meaning to a sports, especially his own sport. Putting the statue in his hometown and at the airport he learned to fly at only made sense for everyone to know his purpose. This town is known for him and how he impacted those around him and those today who golf at the Country Club. Many lives were changed because of him and having dedicated the statue to him was only little to what he did for the community. 

 [1] [2] Arnold Palmer. Adams Memorial Library. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.adamslib.org/arnold-palmer/ 

Sykes, K. (2021, March 1). Latrobe Remembers Golf legend Arnold Palmer. WTAE. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.wtae.com/article/latrobe-remembers-golf-legend-arnold-palmer-1/7482329# 

[3] Halnan, K. (2021, January 14). 100 years of Latrobe Country Club • Kingdom Magazine. Kingdom Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://kingdom.golf/100-years-of-latrobe-country-club/

Arnold Palmer, Latrobe. Zenos Frudakis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://cher-skoubo.squarespace.com/sculpture/arnold-palmer-latrobe# 

Select the subscription that's best for you. Airport Erects Palmer Statue. (2007). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://archive.triblive.com/news/airport-erects-palmer-statue/ 

[7] Rupert, C. (2019, February 28). All things arnold palmer trip itinerary. Trip Itinerary. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/blog/post/all-things-arnold-palmer/ 

[4] [5] [6] CBS Interactive. (2016, September 26). Arnold Palmer remembered in hometown of Latrobe. CBS News. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/arnold-palmer-remembered-in-hometown-of-latrobe/ 

Staff, G. P., Images, G., Advisor, B. T. G., mbn.com, C. of, Courtesy of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Advisor, M. B. G., Photo/GolfChannel.com, A. P., u000004177507, & 62goingstrong. (2021, March 4). The spirit of Arnold Palmer lives large at these golf destinations. Golf Advisor. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.golfpass.com/travel-advisor/articles/the-spirit-of-arnold-palmer-lives-large-at-these-golf-destinations