Blog

By Jill Tanz, Class of 2003

When Tom Carmichael and I worked on the route for the new Icons tour, he suggested we include a stop at a monument that neither of us had ever looked at closely. The sculptor was Lorado Taft, and the subjects were George Washington and two other Revolutionary War patriots. The monument symbolizes tolerance and diversity in America by showcasing an American icon next to a Jewish and a Christian immigrant who helped finance the nation.

The George Washington-Robert Morris-Haym Solomon Memorial is commonly called the Heald Memorial. Located on the north side of Wacker just west of Wabash, it is an imposing sculpture that sits on a large, granite base in a lovely plaza with a fountain and an outdoor café. It is a fun stop on the Icons tour because even locals rarely know much about it – it is hidden in plain sight.

Haym Solomon helped finance the American Revolution and the early days of the republic. Barnet Hodes, a prominent attorney with Jewish-Polish roots, learned about Solomon in high school. It became his life-long dream to honor Solomon for his contributions to America. In 1936 Hodes formed the Patriotic Foundation of Chicago to raise funds for the monument. He worked with Lorado Taft on the design and invited a religiously and ethnically diverse group to join the Patriotic Foundation and raise the money needed to erect the monument.

Hodes wanted to fight rising anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Europe by showing that Christians and Jews worked together to support the Revolutionary War. He also wanted to show that it took civilian as well as military might to win the war. George Washington symbolized the military power while Robert Morris and Haym Solomon were the civilians that financed the fledgling country.

Robert Morris may be a familiar name to docents because of the university named for him located in the Leiter II building at State Street and Ida B. Wells Drive. Morris was an immigrant from Great Britain who became a wealthy businessman. He signed the Declaration of Independence and was the superintendent of finance for the Continental Congress. Morris’ duties included convincing the states as well as foreign governments to support the war effort, an incredibly important task at a moment when the treasury was often down to its last dollars.

Haym Solomon played an important role as a financial broker who was able to turn foreign loans into the cash needed to buy supplies and pay soldiers. He also donated his own money to support the war effort. Solomon was a Polish Jew who came to New York shortly before the Revolutionary War began. He had traveled extensively, spoke several languages, and had many European contacts. Solomon first served the country by helping turn Hessian mercenaries away from supporting Britain and toward the patriots. He was captured by the British as a spy but was able to escape and continued to help the cause with his financial skills.

To fund the project, Hodes solicited supporting letters from politicians and academics across the country to show that Morris and Solomon were worthy patriots. Hodes knew they were controversial because they had faced financial difficulties in later years. President Franklin Roosevelt and the French Ambassador were among those who sent letters used to convince donors that the monument was a fitting memorial.

Taft made a model of the monument in 1936, but he died a short time later, and the monument was completed by a group of artists known as the Lorado Taft Associates. Because of the Depression, it took three years for the Patriotic Foundation to raise the $50,000 needed to complete the project.

The monument bears a quotation from George Washington in a letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island: “The government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

The rear of the monument holds a 9’ x 4’ plaque featuring Lady Liberty seated with arms outstretched to the immigrants entering the U.S. This plaque makes clear that the memorial goes beyond the fight against anti-Semitism and also includes tolerance and cooperation among all the immigrant groups coming to America. Unfortunately, as a memorial conceived in the 1930s, it does not recognize the contributions and sacrifices of the generations of African-Americans who endured slavery and discrimination.

The monument was officially dedicated on December 15, 1941. The date was chosen to be part of the celebration for the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. Of course, this turned out to be just eight days after Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the US into WWII. The message of anti-Semitism and tolerance was even more important in this historical context.

The monument was erected in 1941 on a small triangular island called Heald Square. It was located in between the east and westbound lanes of Wacker Drive between Wabash and State. Heald Square was named after Captain Nathan Heald, the commander of Ft. Dearborn during the War of 1812. The monument was moved to its present location in the early 2000s when Wacker Drive was rebuilt, and the Heald Square island was removed. The small plaza where the monument is now located on the north side of Wacker is sometimes called Heald Square.

Today countless Chicagoans and tourists walk past the monument on their way to the River Walk. It is a timely reminder of core American values – tolerance, diversity, and welcoming immigrants.

This article is primarily based on This Great Triumvirate of Patriots, by Harry Barnard, Follett Publishing Company, 1971.