Marshall University Memorial Fountain

Designed by artist Harry Bertoia and dedicated in 1972, this fountain pays tribute to the seventy-five people who perished in the 1970 Marshall University Plane Crash and the resilience of the university community. Built of welded copper and bronze tubes, the fountain represents life and upward growth and stands in the middle of the Memorial Student Center plaza. From the time of its dedication, this monument has become the central landmark on campus and is the site of an annual ceremony held here each year on November 14, the anniversary of the crash. During the ceremony, the fountain is turned off in remembrance of the 75 who perished that day. The two audio files embedded within this entry include portions of speeches given at the dedication of the fountain and reflections from members of the Marshall University community.

On the evening of November 14, 1970, the Marshall University football team, coaches, and their supporters took a Southern Airways flight from Kinston, North Carolina, back to Huntington after losing a game against East Carolina University. Poor weather hampered visibility around the Tri-State Airport, south of Ceredo, where the flight was scheduled to land. At around 7:35 PM, the plane crashed into a hill just west of the airport. All 75 passengers and crew perished, including 37 members of the football team. The crash followed a similar tragedy on October 2, 1970, when a chartered flight carrying some of the members of the Wichita State University football team crashed, resulting in the loss of thirty-one lives. The Marshall University remains the worst aviation disaster in American sports history.

Immediately after the tragedy a Memorial Committee was appointed by Marshall to find ways to honor the victims. Their recommendations included the installation of a plaque at Fairfield Stadium, a granite marker at Spring Hill Cemetery, and designating the new student center as a memorial. The committee also sought to build a major monument on the student center plaza. Early ideas suggested a sculpture of a bison or a bronze statue of a football player. The committee ultimately decided to commission Italian-born sculptor Harry Bertoia to create a suitable memorial for $25,000. Bertoia designed a 13-foot tall, 6,500 pound bronze and copper fountain sculpture; it took over a year to complete. 150 welded copper tubes reach towards the sky, while water sprays upwards from the center and pours down into a pool. Bertoia intended for the design to “commemorate the living, rather than death, on the waters of life, rising, receding and surging so as to express upward growth, immortality and eternity.” A bronze plaque at the edge of the fountain lists the names of the 75 victims.

"They shall live on in the hearts of their families and friends forever, and this memorial records their loss to the university and to the community." -Fountain Plaque

The Memorial Fountain was unveiled and dedicated in a ceremony by Marshall President John G. Barker on November 12, 1972. Each year on November 14 a memorial ceremony is held at the fountain to commemorate the plane crash. Family members of the victims are invited, and the football team lays 75 white flowers at the base of the fountain as names are read. Traditionally an individual connected to the tragedy serves as the guest speaker.

The Memorial Fountain underwent extensive refurbishments in 2008. This included repairs to the deteriorating base, the installation of a new granite surface and basin for the fountain, the replacement of pipes and electrical wiring, and an upgraded water pump. The fountain was rededicated in a ceremony on April 9, 2008, and remains the central focus of the university quad.

“Aircraft Accident Report: Southern Airways, Inc. DC-9, N97S.” National Transportation Safety Board. April 14, 1972. Accessed January 19, 2020. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR7211.pdf. 

Casto, James E. Marshall University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.

Farner, Jessica. “Campus Rebirth.” Marshall Magazine (Summer 2008): 4-10.

Marshall University News Release. November 9, 1972. Marshall University Archives, Marshall University Special Collections.

“Memorial Fountain.” Marshall University. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.marshall.edu/history-and-traditions/sample-page/historic-buildings-and-monuments/memorial-fountain/.

Miller, Tom D. “Marshall Plane Crash.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. December 12, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1528.

Moffat, Charles Hill. Marshall University: An Institution Comes of Age, 1837-1980. Marshall University Alumni Association, 1981. Accessed January 1, 2020. https://www.mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=lib_manu. 

Stump, Jake. “Fountain an eternal reminder.” Charleston Daily Mail. November 14, 2005.

Tippett, Lawrence. “Memorial Sculpture Dedication.” Marshall University Archives, Marshall University Special Collections.

Withers, Bob. “Memorial Fountain designed to represent ‘upward growth, immortality, eternality.’” Herald-Dispatch. November 15, 2014. 

Marshall University Special Collections, Archives Accession 19860502