'Perfect depiction' of Keller unveiled at Capitol

A statue in the image of Tuscumbia native Helen Keller was unveiled Wednesday in Washington, D.C., making it the first statue to honor a disabled person and the only one of a child in the Capitol collection.

When the bronze statue was unveiled, a special group of children stepped toward it. The students from the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind couldn't see the depiction of Helen Keller learning her first word at a water pump, but they used a different sense to experience the structure, said Sue Pilkilton, director of Keller's birthplace at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia.

"I watched the students walk up and begin to feel the statue," Pilkilton said. "Tears were flowing down their face.

"It was a very emotional event for everyone who was in attendance."

The statue was unveiled during a morning ceremony at the Capitol building's Rotunda, before being moved to its home in Statuary Hall.

Several Tuscumbia dignitaries, including Keller descendents, witnessed the event and came away moved by the depiction.

The statue is an image of Keller at the pump where she learned the word "water." A picture of Ivy Green is in front of the statue, Pilkilton said. Depictions of ivy surround the pump and the scene rests atop an Alabama marble base.

"It's just breathtaking," said Tuscumbia's Warren Johnson, who is a great-nephew of Keller. "It's a perfect depiction of her."

Johnson said Statuary Hall has 100 statues - two per state.

The other Alabamian depicted at the hall is Gen. Joe "Fighting Joe" Wheeler, a Civil War Confederate general who later fought for the United States in the Spanish-American War.

Keller's 600-pound statue was created by Utah sculpture artist Edward Hlavka. The $350,000 cost of the statue was paid through donations.

"It was just so emotional for me to see it, just thinking about what it is and the meaning of it," Johnson said. "This shows how important what she's done is to the world."

He said her work not only brought awareness to people with disabilities, but also to women and minorities.

Johnson met Keller, who died in 1968, when he was 16. "When you met her, you'd go home with a new understanding of what was happening," he said. "I took her for granted when I was young, but a lot of people haven't."

Tuscumbia Mayor Bill Shoemaker said the trip to Washington for the unveiling included a Tuesday night banquet with Gov. Bob Riley, and Riley's wife, Patsy. Officials say the Rileys played a major role in getting the statue at the hall.

Shoemaker and his wife, Pat, also attended the unveiling. He estimates more than 300 people were there, including more than 40 members of the Keller family.

"It's beautiful," he said. "It looks to be slightly larger than actual size and is on a big platform that has a lot of information, including inscriptions about where she was born."

The Alabama congressional delegation was there and Democratic and Republican members of Congress spoke during the event. Those include U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, a Tuscumbia native who is the Senate minority leader. Carl Augusto, president and chief executive officer of the American Foundation for the Blind, also gave a presentation.

Other speakers included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader John Boehner.

Pelosi said Keller laid the groundwork for laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. She said the statue shows "that people must be respected for what they can do rather than judged by what they cannot."

Riley said the monument will remind people "that courage and strength can exist in the most unlikely places."

Shoemaker said the inscriptions have special meaning.

"Each one used famous quotes from Helen, and quotes that I have heard over the years about her life and what an inspiration she was," Shoemaker said.

One Keller quote is, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Keller is quoted as saying when she learned the meaning of water, it opened her to herself, the world and God, Shoemaker said.

Alabama Sen. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, said the statue will be popular with children and adults alike.

"Having grown up in Tuscumbia, we were always aware of the story of Helen Keller, and now the people who visit the nation's Capitol will know the story," Black said. "Being here makes me feel great, great pride to be from Alabama and the Shoals, and particularly from Tuscumbia.

"It's the only one of a child in Statuary Hall. It'll mean so much, as the governor pointed out, for children who come through the Capitol to see what can be accomplished by children who have disabilities. It's just a beautiful characterization of her."

Pilkilton said the sculptor depicted Keller perfectly.

"Her expression - words can't describe the look on her face," she said.

"It's like she just learned her first word."

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.