by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Family. Community. Country.
These were the three words that guided the life of former U.S. Rep. and Jacksonville attorney Tillie Fowler. Her devotion to those words was celebrated Monday with the dedication of a public art memorial that was created through a public/private partnership between the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, The Haskell Company and the law firm of Holland & Knight, Fowler’s former employer. Hundreds of people gathered Downtown on the Northbank Riverwalk between The Haskell Building and YMCA to view the 18.5-feet-tall by 16-feet-wide work of art.
“She would have really adored it,” said Rusty Kidd, Fowler’s brother. “Especially where it is, at a focal point on this beautiful river.”
Fowler served as Jacksonville’s first female City Council President from 1982-85. She continued to serve the public by becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served on several military committees. Her efforts to support a strong U.S. military were recognized by the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense with the Navy’s Public Service Award and the Department of Defense’s Medal for Distinguished Public Service. These are the highest civilian honors awarded by both.
As vice-chair of the Republican Conference, Fowler was the highest ranking woman in Congress when she retired in 2000. She joined the Washington, D.C. office of Holland & Knight in 2001 and passed away in March, 2005.
“I hope this is just the beginning of paying tribute to people who have made our city great,” said Mayor John Peyton.
Rhode-Island based sculptor Brower Hatcher was commissioned to create the memorial by the City of Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places Committee to commemorate Fowler’s work in politics and public service. Hatcher was chosen from a field of 46 artists.
“After several years of planning and reaching out to the community, it is so gratifying to see this wonderful tribute to Tillie become reality,” said Hatcher. “I truly believe this will bring joy and inspiration to many people as they enjoy a reflective moment and walk away from the sculpture with a smile.”
The sculpture is titled “Showing the Way,” and was created to display Fowler’s spirit as an oak tree, the state tree of her native Georgia. It consists of three main components — the trunk, the truss and the three LED-illuminated orbs. Hatcher created the orbs to represent the levels of Fowlers spirit. The inner orb represents family, the second represents community and the third represents her country.
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