| Ball State University campus | |
| Frog Baby Fountain | |
| Use | Statue |
| Style | Memorial |
| Erected | 1993 |
| Location | North of Bracken Library |
| Architect | Rundell Ernstberger Associates (Landscape Architect for the Fountain) |
Frog Baby Fountain is a statue set in the middle of a fountain on the Ball State University campus. It is known as a sign of good luck and is a popular meeting place. The Frog Baby Statue was cast by Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons in 1937 and has been moved several times prior to becoming what it is known as today. Frank Ball donated the statue to the university and she remained in the Ball State University Museum of Art until she became damaged by excessive rubbing by students, and was then packed away. In 1993, Frog Baby was restored and placed in a fountain where she resides today. The fountain is dedicated to Alexander Bracken, the son-in-law of Frank C. Ball, who was responsible for Ball State's rapid growth after World War II.[1]
Prior to becoming a centerpiece of the fountain, Ball State students would visit Frog Baby in the Ball State University Museum of Art to rub her nose, believing that it would bring them good luck on their upcoming exams. This in turn wore Frog Baby's nose, and the statue had to be put away to avoid further damage.
After restoration, Frog Baby was placed in her fountain, and now Ball State's students are known for protecting Frog Baby during the winter by bundling her up with hats and scarves.
Ball State Students commonly pull a prank at the fountain by pouring laundry detergent into the fountain causing it to foam over the edges.[2]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||