Dante

The Dante bust in front of the John Hay Library, the work of sculptor Pablo S. Abbate, was unveiled on December 9, 1921 at ceremonies attended by General Diaz of Italy. The bronze bust rests on a simple granite pedestal, on which is an inscription proclaiming it to be the gift of the Italians of Rhode Island to Brown University commemorating the sixth centenary of Dante’s death. On November 5, 1921 Brown had observed the anniversary of Dante’s death with exercises in Sayles Hall. Professor Charles Hall Grandgent of Harvard was the principal speaker. The bronze bust was displayed on the platform and Pablo Abbate addressed the meeting in English and Italian. The Rhode Island Grand Lodge, Sons of Italy had earlier established in August 1921 four scholarships at Brown to be known as the Dante scholarships and awarded to young men who had made good progress in the study of Italian.