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National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options

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National Statuary Hall Collection: Background
May 31, 2024
and Legislative Options
Jacob R. Straus
The National Statuary Hall Collection, located in the U.S. Capitol, comprises 100 statues
Specialist on the Congress
provided by individual states to honor persons notable for their historic renown or for

distinguished services. The collection was authorized in 1864, when Congress redesignated the
R. Eric Petersen
hall where the House of Representatives formerly met as National Statuary Hall. The first statue,
Specialist in American
depicting Nathanael Greene, was provided in 1870 by Rhode Island. The collection has consisted
National Government
of two statues per state since 2005, when New Mexico sent a statue of Po’pay. At various times,

aesthetic and structural concerns necessitated the relocation of some statues outside of National
Statuary Hall, and, today, some of these statues are located in the House and Senate wings of the
Jennifer E. Manning
Capitol, Rotunda, Crypt, and Capitol Visitor Center.
Senior Research Librarian

Legislation to increase the size of the National Statuary Hall Collection has been introduced in

several Congresses. These measures would permit states to furnish more than two statues or
allow the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories to provide statues to the collection. None
of these proposals have been enacted to date.
Should Congress choose to expand the number of statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, the Joint Committee on the
Library (JCL), other congressional officials, and the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) may need to consider statue location to
address aesthetic, structural, and safety concerns in National Statuary Hall, the Capitol Visitor Center, and other areas of the
Capitol.
This report provides historical information on the National Statuary Hall Collection and National Statuary Hall. It examines
the creation, design, placement, and replacement of statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection. The report then discusses
recent legislative proposals to increase the size of the National Statuary Hall Collection.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Establishing the National Statuary Hall Collection ......................................................................... 1
Statues in the Collection: Design, Placement, and Replacement .................................................... 3
Statue Design and Placement Guidelines .................................................................................. 3
Replacement of Statues ............................................................................................................. 4
Proposals to Expand the Collection ................................................................................................. 5
Expansion of Permitted Statues Per State ................................................................................. 5
Statues for the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories ......................................................... 5
Issues for Congress .......................................................................................................................... 6

Tables

Table A-1. National Statuary Hall Collection Statues ..................................................................... 7
Table B-1. Replaced Statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection ........................................... 9

Appendixes
Appendix A. National Statuary Hall Collection Statues .................................................................. 7
Appendix B. Statues Replaced in the National Statuary Hall Collection ........................................ 9

Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 10

Congressional Research Service

National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options

Introduction
The U.S. Capitol is home to extensive art collections. These collections are considered by
Congress as “an integral part of the history of this renowned building.”1 Perhaps the most
prominent collection is the National Statuary Hall Collection, which contains statues of notable
citizens provided by each state. First authorized in 1864, today, the National Statuary Hall
Collection contains 100 statues throughout the Capitol. Today, 35 collection statues are displayed
in National Statuary Hall.2 The rest of the National Statuary Hall Collection is displayed in the
House and Senate wings of the Capitol, Rotunda, Crypt, and Capitol Visitor Center (CVC).3
Collection statues—chosen by the states to honor prominent citizens—are furnished to Congress
for display in the Capitol. In the 106th Congress (1999-2000), for the first time, states were
allowed to replace a statue previously donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection.4 In past
Congresses, legislation has been introduced to alter the size of the collection by allowing each
state to contribute three statues instead of two or allow the District of Columbia and the U.S.
territories to provide one statue each.5
Establishing the National Statuary Hall Collection
On January 6, 1864, Representative Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont introduced a resolution,
which was agreed to by voice vote, requesting that the House Committee on Public Buildings
examine the possibility of using the Old Hall of the House of Representatives to display statues.
Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings be requested to examine and report as
to the expediency of setting apart the old hall of the House of Representatives as a hall for
statuary; and also as to the cost of a new flooring and bronze railing on each side of the
passage-way through the hall, preparatory to the reception of such works of arts.6
On April 19, 1864, Representative John Hovey Rice of Maine introduced, on behalf of the House
Committee on Public Buildings, which he chaired, a joint resolution to create a statuary hall in the
Old Hall of the House and to authorize existing appropriations to repair the old House chamber.7
The resolution called for the President to “invite each of the states to provide and furnish statues
in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number each, of men who have been citizens thereof,
illustrious in their historical renown or distinguished for their civic or military services, such as

1 U.S. Congress, House Joint Committee on the Library, Art in the United States Capitol, prepared by the Architect of
the Capitol, 91st Cong., 2nd sess., H.Doc. 91-368 (Washington: GPO, 1976), p. ix.
2 The House generally met in the “Old Hall” (now called National Statuary Hall) from 1807 until the completion in
1857 of the present House wing of the Capitol. One other statue is on display in National Statuary Hall that is not part
of the National Statuary Hall Collection. In 2005, Congress commissioned a statue to honor Rosa Parks (P.L. 109-116,
119 Stat. 2524 (2005)). The statue was dedicated and placed in Statuary Hall in 2013. For more information, see “Rosa
Parks Statue,” U.S. Congress, Architect of the Capitol, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/rosa-parks-
statue.
3 The location of statues in the collection is available from the Architect of the Capitol, at https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-
hill/national-statuary-hall-collection/nsh-location.
4 P.L. 106-554, §1(a)(2), 114 Stat. 2763A-119 (2000).
5 Current statutory requirements for statues placed in National Statuary Hall can be found in Title 2 United States Code
2131, 2131a, and 2132.
6 U.S. Congress, Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 83rd Cong. 1st sess., January 6, 1864
(Washington: GPO, 1863), p. 108.
7 Rep. John Hovey Rice et al., “The Old House Hall,” House debate, Congressional Globe, vol. 34, part 2 (April 19,
1864), pp. 1736-1737.
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each State shall determine are worthy of national remembrance.”8 The joint resolution passed the
House by a vote of 87 to 20 and was referred in the Senate to the Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds,9 where it was reported without amendment and with the recommendation that it
“ought not to pass.”10 The Senate took no further action on the joint resolution.
Subsequently, in June 1864, during House consideration of a civil appropriations bill,
Representative Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania offered an amendment similar to the joint
resolution previously passed by the House.11 The amendment was agreed to in the House,12 but
was removed from the bill when it was considered in the Senate.13 The proposed language was
restored in conference committee, and it stated
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That a marble floor, similar to that of the Congressional
Library or the Senate vestibule, shall be constructed in the old Hall of the House of
Representatives, using such marble as may be now on hand and not otherwise required,
and that suitable structures and railings shall be therein erected for the reception and
protection of statuary, and the same shall be under the supervision and direction of the
Commissioner of Public Buildings; and so much of the moneys now or heretofore
appropriated for the capitol extension as may be necessary, not exceeding the sum of fifteen
thousand dollars, is hereby set apart and shall be disbursed for the porse [purposes]
hereinbefore mentioned. And the President is hereby authorized to invite each and all the
States to provide and furnish statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for
each state, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their
historic renown or from distinguished civic or military services, such as each state shall
determine to be worthy of this national commemoration; and when so furnished the same
shall be placed in the old hall of the House of Representatives, in the capitol of the United
States, which is hereby set apart, or so much thereof as may be necessary, as a national
statuary hall, for the purposes herein indicated.14
The first statue in the collection, depicting Nathanael Greene, was provided by Rhode Island in
1870. As the Union grew, the number of statues in the collection increased; by 1933, the hall held
65 statues, some of which stood three deep. Aesthetic and structural concerns necessitated the
relocation of some statues throughout the Capitol.15 The collection reached 100 statues in 2005
when New Mexico, which became a state in 1912, added the statue of Po’pay.16

8 Ibid., p. 1736.
9 Ibid., p. 1737.
10 U.S. Congress, Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 83rd Cong. 1st sess., April 25, 1864
(Washington: GPO, 1863), p. 366.
11 Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, “Civil Appropriations Bill,” House debate, Congressional Globe, vol. 34, part 4 (June 20,
1864), pp. 3106-3107.
12 U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on the Library, Legislation Creating the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol, 64th
Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1916), p. 12.
13 “Civil Appropriations Bill,” Senate debate, Congressional Globe, vol. 34, part 4 (June 24, 1864), p. 3225.
14 13 Stat. 347, July 2, 1864. Authority over the Capitol Building and Grounds was transferred to the Architect of the
Capitol in 1876 (19 Stat. 147 (1876). For more information on the creation of National Statuary Hall, see U.S.
Congress, Joint Committee on the Library, Legislation Creating the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol: With the
Proceedings in Congress Relating to the Statues Placed in the National Statuary Hall by the States, prepared by H.A.
Vale, 64th cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1916), pp. 5-17.
15 National Statuary Hall is the two-story, former chamber of the House of Representatives and is also called the “Old
Hall of the House.” For more information, see “Statuary Hall,” House Debate, Congressional Record, vol. 76, part 4
(February 20, 1933), pp. 4533-4534; and “Statuary Hall,” Congressional Record, vol. 76, part 4 (February 20, 1933),
pp. 4533-4534. Also, see “Statuary Hall Creaks ‘Neath the Weight of Fame,” The Christian Science Monitor, January
25, 1933, p. 1.
16 “Po’pay Statue,” U.S. Congress, Architect of the Capitol, http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/popay.cfm.
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Statues in the Collection: Design, Placement, and
Replacement
Pursuant to the July 1864 civil appropriations bill, each state may donate up to two statues for
inclusion in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Statues donated to the collection are to be
made of “marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who
have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or
military services.”17
Statue Design and Placement Guidelines
Statues donated to the collection must be formally accepted by the Joint Committee on the
Library (JCL).18 To assist states, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) has published guidelines,
which are subject to modification by the JCL, for creating statues for the collection. The
guidelines address numerous aspects of statuary design, including subject, material, pedestal,
inscriptions, size and weight, patina and coating, and other considerations.19
Additionally, the AOC, “upon the approval of
Statue Design and Placement
the Joint Committee on the Library (JCL) and
Guidelines
with the advice of the Commission of Fine
Specific requirements and guidelines for statue design
Arts as requested,”20 is authorized and directed
and placement are available from the Architect of the
to locate or relocate collection statues within
Capitol, at https://www.aoc.gov/sites/default/files/
the Capitol.21 The AOC, under the JCL’s
statue_replacement_guidelines_2014.pdf.
guidance, established a nine-step process for
the acceptance of a new or replacement statue. This process is part of the statue design and
placement guidelines.

17 2 U.S.C. §2131.
18 In addition to authorities granted to the JCL in 1872, Congress in 1988 assigned responsibility to provide works of
fine art and other property for display in the Capitol to the Capitol Preservation Commission. Similar authorities were
granted to the House and Senate through the House of Representatives Fine Arts Board, Senate Commission on Art,
and Senate Committee on Rules and Administration for art in their buildings and respective wings of the Capitol. (2
U.S.C. §§2081, 2101, 2102, 2121, 2133, 2135). These parallel authorities may raise questions related to which
congressional entities might be involved in future National Statuary Hall Collection and other fine art decisions.
19 2 U.S.C. §2131. Also, see Architect of the Capitol, Procedure and Guidelines for Replacement of Statues in the
National Statuary Hall Collection. A copy of this document is available to congressional clients from the authors upon
request. Other considerations include requirements that statues and pedestals not be safety hazards and should not
include sharp or protruding elements.
20 2 U.S.C. §2132(e). The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) was created by Congress in 1910. The commission advises
Congress, the President, and heads of departments and agencies on the location of statues, fountains, and monuments in
public spaces in the District of Columbia; selection of models and artists for statues, fountains, and monuments erected
under the authority of the federal government; and responds to questions of art, when required. A 2002 revision of the
law states that the commission’s responsibilities do “not apply to the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress
buildings,” suggesting it no longer has a role in decisions regarding the location of the collection within the Capitol.
See 40 U.S.C. §9102.
21 H.Con.Res. 47 (72nd Congress), agreed to February 24, 1933. Statutory authority was enacted in 2000, 2 U.S.C.
§2132(e).
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Replacement of Statues
Since 2000, states have been allowed to replace statues donated to the collection. Regulations for
the replacement of statues were established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001.22 In
2005, Congress enacted a requirement that an individual depicted on a statue displayed in the
National Statuary Hall Collection must be deceased for at least 10 years.23 To replace a statue, a
state must
• request—through the approval of a resolution adopted by the state legislature and
signed by the governor—in writing, approval from the Joint Committee; and
• ensure that the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the collection for at
least 10 years.24
Upon the Joint Committee’s approval of the replacement request, the AOC is authorized to enter
into an agreement with the state, subject to any conditions imposed by the Joint Committee. Once
accepted, the state is responsible for paying all related costs, including the design, construction,
transportation, and placement of the new statue and pedestal; the removal and transportation of
the statue being replaced (back to the state or other location determined by the state legislature);
and any unveiling ceremony.25
Since the authorization of replacements within the collection in 2000, 12 states—Alabama,
Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas (twice), Michigan, Missouri, North
Carolina, Nebraska (twice), and Ohio—have sent a replacement statue. Additionally, two states—
Virginia and Arkansas—have requested that at least one of their statutes be removed from the
U.S. Capitol before a replacement statue has been dedicated. In 2019, Arkansas enacted
legislation to remove its two statues—U.M. Rose and James P. Clarke—and replace them with
statues of Daisy Lee Gatson Bates and Johnny Cash.26 On May 8, 2024, Arkansas’s Daisy Lee
Gatson Bates statue was dedicated in National Statuary Hall.27 In 2020, Virginia requested the
removal of its Robert E. Lee statue and also announced that a statue of Barbara Johns will be sent
to the Capitol as a replacement.28 A timeline for the arrival in the U.S. Capitol of the Johnny Cash
(Arkansas) and Barbara Johns (Virginia) statues has not yet been announced.29

22 This section is based on P.L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-119 (2000), codified at 22 U.S.C. §2132, and other sources
as noted.
23 2 U.S.C. §2131a(a).
24 The Joint Committee on the Library may waive the 10-year requirement for cause at the request of the state, 2 U.S.C.
§2132.
25 For example, see the State of Nebraska’s summary of activities for the replacement of a statue of Julius Sterling
Morton with a statue of Willa Cather in 2023, at https://history.nebraska.gov/willa-cather-national-statuary-hall-
selection-committee.
26 Arkansas Code Annotated §1-4-134; Acts 2019, No. 581, §1 (2019). For more information, see Sean Clancy,
“Statues of Bates, Cash Approved for U.S. Display,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 12, 2019, at
arkansasonline.com/412cash/.
27 U.S. Congress, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, “Speaker Johnson Honors Daisy Bates of Arkansas in Statue
Dedication,” press release, May 9, 2024, https://www.speaker.gov/speaker-johnson-honors-daisy-bates-of-arkansas-in-
statue-dedication.
28 For more information, see Letter from The Honorable Ralph S. Northam, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, to
J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol, July 31, 2020, https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/
7.31.2020-RSN-Letter-to-Brett-Blanton.pdf; and “Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol,”
Virginia Department of Historic Resources, https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/uscapitolcommission.
29 For more information on the Johnny Cash statue, see “Capitol Arts & Grounds Commission,” Arkansas Secretary of
State, https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/cagc. For more information on the Barbara Johns statue, see Virginia Department
(continued...)
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A list of statues replaced in the collection can be found in Appendix B.
Proposals to Expand the Collection
Legislation to increase the size of the collection might fall into two categories. The first would
increase the number of statues that states are permitted to donate, from a maximum of two per
state to three per state. The second would permit the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories
to contribute one or more statues to the collection.
Expansion of Permitted Statues Per State
Since the redesignation of the Old Hall of the House as National Statuary Hall in 1864, each state
has been allowed to place two statues in the collection. Supporters of providing a third statue per
state argue that additional statues could provide an opportunity to increase the diversity of the
collection, which currently includes 21 statues of women or minorities.30 Several proposals have
been introduced since the 1990s to provide a third statue to each state.31
If Congress were to authorize an additional statue per state, states would be able, but not be
required, to add statues to the collection. Increasing the collection by up to 50 statues may take
some time, as states debate who might be honored, approve their selections, request JCL
approval, raise funds, and commission artists to create new statues.
Should the National Statuary Hall Collection expand to more than 100 statues, space for the
additional statues in the Capitol complex could become an issue. Currently, collection statues are
located in the Rotunda; the Crypt; the House wing of the Capitol in National Statuary Hall; the
Hall of Columns; and adjacent to the House chamber, the Senate wing of the Capitol, and the
CVC. When the CVC opened in 2008, collection statues were moved to Emancipation Hall and
other CVC locations to reduce the number of statues in National Statuary Hall and other Capitol
locations. The addition of 50 or more statues might require the AOC to place statues closer
together in those locations. If more statues are placed in National Statuary Hall itself, some
display and structural concerns that have arisen in the past may be revisited.
Statues for the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories
In the past, proposals have been introduced to authorize the District of Columbia and the
territories to provide one or two statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection. None of these
proposals were considered.32 Although it is not part of the National Statuary Hall collection, in
2013, a statue of Frederick Douglass was donated by the District of Columbia government and

of Historic Resources, “Preliminary Model of Virginia’s Barbara Rose Johns Statute for U.S. Capitol Approved,”
August 7, 2023, https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/blog-posts/barbara-rose-johns-maquette-approved-for-us-capitol.
30 U.S. Congress, Architect of the Capitol, “How Many Women are Represented in the National Statuary Hall
Collection,” Capitol Hill Facts, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/capitol-hill-facts; and Rep. Stephen
Cohen, “Support More Diversity in the United States Capitol,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily
edition, vol. 157, (March 30, 2011), p. H2049.
31 For example, see H.R. 3368 (103rd Congress), introduced October 26, 1993; and H.R. 1289 (112th Congress),
introduced March 31, 2011. “Introduction of Bill and Joint Resolutions,” Congressional Record, vol. 121, part 2
(February 5, 1975), p. 2447.
32 For example, see S. 566 (94th Congress) and S. 3678 (93rd Congress). Similar legislation to authorize the District of
Columbia and territories to provide statues to the collection was introduced in the 99th, 109th, 111th, and 118th
Congresses. In the 118th Congress, H.R. 1026 and H.R. 3251 would authorize the President to invite each U.S. territory
to provide two statues for placement in National Statuary Hall.
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National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options

accepted by Congress for placement in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.33 The
statue was officially unveiled on June 19, 2013.34
Issues for Congress
Over the past four decades, Congress has considered proposals to increase the number of statues
in the National Statuary Hall Collection. As noted above, one group of legislative proposals
involves adding additional statues for each state; another would expand the collection by allowing
the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories to provide statues to the collection. If either or
both options were adopted, proponents argue that states could donate statues that better represent
various aspects of their history. Congress might also consider revising the criteria to discourage or
disallow states from sending figures associated with certain historical events or revising standards
for statues associated with certain historical events from being displayed in the Capitol.35
Increasing the number of statues in the collection, however, could result in further space concerns
related to statue display in the Capitol. When the CVC opened, the AOC, under the JCL’s
direction, reduced the number of collection statues on display in National Statuary Hall as well as
in the House and Senate wings of the Capitol by moving them to Emancipation Hall and other
locations within the CVC. Adding additional statues to the collection might necessitate relocating
existing statues.
Any changes to the collection would likely be weighed against the potential costs to states, or if
approved, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, who might provide new statues. In the
case of expanding the number of statues that might be added to the collection, a further concern is
whether the larger collection could be displayed in the Capitol in an appropriate manner. Other
considerations include structural, traffic management, and life safety constraints of the physical
environment.

33 P.L. 112-174, 126 Stat. 1311 (2012).
34 S.Con.Res. 16 (113th Congress), May 21, 2013.
35 For example, in the 117th Congress (2021-2022)—H.R. 3005, §3(b) and H.R. 8237—and in the 118th Congress
(2023-2024)—H.R. 1248 and S. 573—would generally have required the removal of all statues of individuals who
voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in publicly accessible areas of the United States
Capitol. See also, U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, 2023,
117th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Rept. 117-389 (2022), https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/117th-congress/house-
report/389.
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Appendix A. National Statuary Hall
Collection Statues
Table A-1 provides a list of statues currently in the collection, by state, with the name of the
statue and the year it was placed in the collection.
Table A-1. National Statuary Hall Collection Statues
Year
Year
State
Statue
Placed
State
Statue
Placed
Alabama
Helen Keller
2009
Montana
Jeanette Rankin
1985
Alabama
Joseph Wheeler
1925
Montana
Charles Marion
1959
Russell
Alaska
Ernest Gruening
1977
Nebraska
Chief Standing Bear
2019
Alaska
Edward Lewis Bartlett
1971
Nebraska
Wil a Cather
2023
Arizona
Eusebio Kino
1965
Nevada
Sarah Winnemucca
2005
Arizona
Barry Goldwater
2015
Nevada
Patrick Anthony
1960
McCarran
Arkansas
Daisy Lee Gatson Bates
2024
New Hampshire
John Stark
1894
Arkansas
See Table Note Below

New Hampshire
Daniel Webster
1894
California
Father Junipero Serra
1931
New Jersey
Richard Stockton
1888
California
Ronald Wilson Reagan
2009
New Jersey
Philip Kearny
1888
Colorado
John L. Swigert
1997
New Mexico
Po'pay
2005
Colorado
Florence R. Sabin
1959
New Mexico
Dennis Chavez
1966
Connecticut
Roger Sherman
1872
New York
Robert R. Livingston
1875
Connecticut
Jonathan Trumbul
1872
New York
George Clinton
1873
Delaware
Caesar Rodney
1934
North Carolina
Bil y Graham Jr.
2024
Delaware
John Middleton Clayton
1934
North Carolina
Zebulon Baird Vance
1916
Florida
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
2022
North Dakota
Sakakawea
2003
Florida
John Gorrie
1914
North Dakota
John Burke
1963
Georgia
Crawford W. Long
1926
Ohio
Thomas Edison
2016
Georgia
Alexander Hamilton
1927
Ohio
James A. Garfield
1886
Stephens
Hawaii
Kamehameha I
1969
Oklahoma
Wil Rogers
1939
Hawaii
Father Damien
1969
Oklahoma
Sequoyah
1917
Idaho
Wil iam Edgar Borah
1947
Oregon
John McLoughlin
1953
Idaho
George Laird Shoup
1910
Oregon
Jason Lee
1953
Il inois
James Shields
1893
Pennsylvania
John Peter Gabriel
1889
Muhlenberg
Il inois
Frances E. Wil ard
1905
Pennsylvania
Robert Fulton
1889
Indiana
Lewis Wallace
1910
Rhode Island
Nathanael Greene
1870
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Year
Year
State
Statue
Placed
State
Statue
Placed
Indiana
Oliver Hazard Perry
1900
Rhode Island
Roger Wil iams
1872
Morton
Iowa
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug
2014
South Carolina
John Caldwell
1910
Calhoun
Iowa
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood
1913
South Carolina
Wade Hampton
1929
Kansas
Amelia Earhart
2022
South Dakota
Joseph Ward
1963
Kansas
Dwight D. Eisenhower
2003
South Dakota
Wil iam Henry
1938
Harrison Beadle
Kentucky
Ephraim McDowell
1929
Tennessee
John Sevier
1931
Kentucky
Henry Clay
1929
Tennessee
Andrew Jackson
1928
Louisiana
Edward Douglass White
1955
Texas
Stephen Austin
1905
Louisiana
Huey Pierce Long
1941
Texas
Sam Houston
1905
Maine
Wil iam King
1878
Utah
Philo T. Farnsworth
1990
Maine
Hannibal Hamlin
1935
Utah
Brigham Young
1950
Maryland
Charles Carrol
1903
Vermont
Ethan Allen
1876
Maryland
John Hanson
1903
Vermont
Jacob Col amer
1881
Massachusetts Samuel Adams
1876
Virginia
George Washington
1934
Massachusetts John Winthrop
1876
Virginia
See Table Note Below

Michigan
Lewis Cass
1889
Washington
Mother Joseph
1980
Michigan
Gerald R. Ford Jr.
2011
Washington
Marcus Whitman
1953
Minnesota
Maria L. Sanford
1958
West Virginia
John E. Kenna
1901
Minnesota
Henry Mower Rice
1916
West Virginia
Francis Harrison
1910
Pierpont
Mississippi
James Zachariah George
1931
Wisconsin
Jacques Marquette
1896
Mississippi
Jefferson Davis
1931
Wisconsin
Robert M. La Fol ette
1929
Missouri
Francis Preston Blair Jr.
1899
Wyoming
Washakie
2000
Missouri
Harry S. Truman
2022
Wyoming
Esther Hobart
1960
Morris
Source: CRS compilation from Architect of the Capitol National Statuary Hall Col ection website,
http://www.aoc.gov/the-national-statuary-hall-col ection?capitol_hil =TRUE.
Note: The statues of James Paul Clarke (AR) and Robert E. Lee (VA) have been removed from display. For
more information, see Table B-1.
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link to page 12 link to page 12 link to page 12 National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options

Appendix B. Statues Replaced in the National
Statuary Hall Collection
Since 2000, states have been allowed to replace statues donated to the collection. Regulations for
the replacement of statues were established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001.36
Table B-1 provides a list of states that have replaced statues, the year of the replacement, the
original statue, and the replacement statue.
Table B-1. Replaced Statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection
State
Year
Original Statue
Replacement Statue
Kansas
2003
George W. Glick
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Alabama
2009
Lamar Monroe Curry
Helen Keller
California
2009
Thomas Starr King
Ronald Wilson Reagan
Michigan
2011
Zachariah Chandler
Gerald R. Ford Jr.
Iowa
2014
James Harlan
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug
Arizona
2015
John Campbell Greenway Barry Goldwater
Ohio
2016
Wil iam Allen
Thomas Edison
Nebraska
2019
Wil iam Jennings Bryan
Chief Standing Bear
Florida
2022
Edmund Kirby Smith
Mary McLeod Bethune
Kansas
2022
John James Ingalls
Amelia Earhart
Missouri
2022
Thomas Hart Benton
Harry S. Truman
Nebraska
2023
Julius Sterling Morton
Wil a Cather
Arkansas
2024
Uriah Rose
Daisy Lee Gatson Bates
North Carolina
2024
Charles Aycock
Bil y Graham Jr.
Arkansas
Pending
James Paul Clarke
Johnny Cash
(Removed from display)a
Virginia
Pending
Robert E. Lee
Barbara Johns
(Removed from
display, 2020)b
Source: CRS compilation from Architect of the Capitol National Statuary Hall Col ection website,
http://www.aoc.gov/the-national-statuary-hall-col ection.
Notes:
a. In 2019, the State of Arkansas enacted a law to replace its two statues in the National Statuary Hall
Col ection. The James Paul Clarke statue has been removed from the U.S. Capitol, but it does not appear
that it has yet been returned to Arkansas. For more information, see Alex Thomas, “Arkansas Statues
Removed from U.S. Capitol in Anticipation of Bates, Cash Statues,” Capitol in Anticipation of Bates, Cash Statues,” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 10, , April 10,
2024, https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/apr/10/arkansas-statues-removed-from-us-capitol-in. 2024, https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/apr/10/arkansas-statues-removed-from-us-capitol-in.
b. In 2020, at the request of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Robert E. Lee statue was removed from b. In 2020, at the request of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Robert E. Lee statue was removed from
display in the U.S. Capitol. For more information, see Letter from The Honorable Ralph S. Northam, display in the U.S. Capitol. For more information, see Letter from The Honorable Ralph S. Northam,
Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, to J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol, July 31, 2020, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, to J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol, July 31, 2020,
https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/7.31.2020-RSN-Letter-to-Brett-Blanton.pdf. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/7.31.2020-RSN-Letter-to-Brett-Blanton.pdf.

36 This sentence is based on P.L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-119 (2000), codified at 22 U.S.C. §2132, and other sources 36 This sentence is based on P.L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-119 (2000), codified at 22 U.S.C. §2132, and other sources
as noted. as noted.
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National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options


Author Information

Jacob R. Straus Jacob R. Straus
Jennifer E. Manning Jennifer E. Manning
Specialist on the Congress Specialist on the Congress
Senior Research Librarian Senior Research Librarian


R. Eric Petersen R. Eric Petersen

Specialist in American National Government Specialist in American National Government



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