President Bill Pink has declined Mecosta County’s request to have a bronze statue of the late Charlie Kirk installed on campus.
In the statement released by the university, Pink cited the university’s long-standing tradition of featuring statues on campus of individuals pivotal to the university’s history.
“At present, the only statue on our grounds is of our founder, Woodbridge N. Ferris, whose vision and leadership made the University possible,” Pink said. “For these reasons, Ferris State must respectfully decline the proposal to add a statue of Mr. Kirk. We remain grateful for the County’s partnership in many other areas and welcome continued collaboration on initiatives that support our shared community.”
The proposal, which was approved at the Mecosta County Board of Commissioners meeting, came a week after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University.