A statue of a pioneering Minnesota woman, Maria Sanford, made by pioneering Minnesota woman Evelyn Raymond. 

Maria Sanford has often been called “the best loved woman in Minnesota." When she was in her teens, she opted not to use her dowry funds to find a husband, instead using it as tuition money for school and devoting herself to the life of an educator. Sanford went on to become one of the first female professors in the United States. 

Sanford's statue is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection, which consists of 100 statues representing two exemplary citizens of each state, hers being one of the two chosen by the state of Minnesota. If that didn’t say enough about how great she was, it was also the first statue of a woman to be exhibited in the Capitol. Extra kicker: this was also the first statue sculpted by a woman to be included in the prestigious collection. 

Sanford was known to be very involved in the lives of her students, often offering advice and hosting events. To her best students, she offered “sunrise courses” and surprise exams. You know you’re an amazing teacher when students go out of their way to get up early and take on extra work. She taught for over thirty years and was known for going the extra mile. On top of working as a professor, she often went on public lecture tours, and campaigned for women’s rights. When she reached her seventies she “retired,” but continued speaking publicly; she was one of the main speakers at the ratification of the 19th amendment. 

This statue was commissioned for Minnesota’s State Centennial in 1958, to be displayed in Statuary Hall. Artist Evelyn Raymond beat out 11 other sculptor candidates to be chosen to create this piece. Raymond was also an educator in her own right, teaching for over a decade at the Walker Art Center, where she was also head of the sculpture department, and out of her studio for another forty years.