WT's Cornette honored with Robert Frost statue at dedication ceremony

CANYON — On Thursday in the courtyard of the Cornette Library at West Texas A&M University, a statue that was recently installed was celebrated, which also serves as a tribute to the couple for whom the building is named.

A statue of poet Robert Frost, depicted writing “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” recently was installed in the east courtyard of the library near the heart of the Canyon campus. The statue was officially dedicated in honor of former WT President James P. and Mary Elizabeth Cornette during a Texas Poets’ Corner event.

“Robert Frost was a favorite poet of President Cornette, who in fact was a Frost scholar,” said Shawna Kennedy-Witthar, Cornette Library director, in a news release ahead of the event. “We plan to add more sculptures in this courtyard, and having one dedicated to our library’s namesakes seemed like the natural place to start.”

One of the five family members in attendance in honor of his late parents was Dr. James L. Cornette, a 1955 WT graduate and professor emeritus of mathematics at Iowa State University. He said, “We began this project in 2006. We discussed placing a statue on library grounds. After a lot of different options, I came to visit in November 2020, and Shawna informed me that she had found a Robert Frost sculpture and was ready to purchase it. I am grateful to Shawna who made this event possible.”

"This statue was in the works for around 15 years. Now we have this beautiful statue to honor his parents," Kennedy-Witthar said.

“James Cornette was a remarkable president. He provided 25 years of service to West Texas A&M University. He saw this university as what we see now, the Panhandle's university. The transition of this being a teacher's college into the university it is today was done under his guidance,” said WT President Walter V. Wendler.

During Cornette's tenure, which spanned from 1948 to 1973, WT saw significant changes in curriculum and administration, and as enrollment increased, so too did campus construction, with the addition of several buildings in the 1950s and 1960s, including the library. Cornette Library opened its doors in 1974.

The Frost sculpture is the work of George W. Lundeen of Loveland, Colorado, whose works — including several other statues of Frost — adorn university campuses and more nationwide.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Robert Frost statue dedicated at WT Cornette Library