YSU to unveil statue Friday

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University’s year-long Centennial Celebration continues Friday with the unveiling of a sculpture of one of the university’s founders.

A life-size bronze sculpture of Howard W. Jones, the first president of Youngstown College, will be unveiled at 4 p.m. The sculpture is located in an area between the north side of Ward Beecher Hall and the south side of Tod Hall on the campus core.

The sculpture, created by Bruce Wolfe, an accomplished artist whose works have been exhibited from New York to Paris, shows Jones walking down a flight of three steps.

Jones was president of Youngstown College and Youngstown University from 1931 to 1966. The sculpture was commissioned by Tony and Mary Lariccia of Boardman, and their daughters Natalie and Dana. Lariccia, a 1966 graduate of YSU, provided $100,000 for the project.