"If you kiss your one true love in front of Beneficence with your eyes closed, her wings flutter. But it has to be your true love and you can’t open your eyes because if you do, Benny won't do it.”
You may be trying to identify where your confusion lies since it is very likely that you have no idea what Benny is, so let’s begin with Webster and a working definition of sorts.
beneficence- noun
1. the act of doing good; active goodness or kindness; charity.
2. a statue/ space on campus, an icon, and the symbol of Ball State Unviersity.
3. sister of the Lincoln Memorial and other works created by Daniel Chester French.
Beneficence is an elegant statue located in the quad on Ball State University’s campus. “Benny” as the statue has come to be known since her dedication in the 1930s is unique to the campus of Ball State University functioning as the university’s symbol, and a landmark on campus. According to Benny: A History Of Beneficence, a special archives collection at Bracken Library, the statue is iconic; without a doubt, Beneficence continues to maintain the legacy of the Ball family for whose honor she was erected as a gift from the Muncie Chamber of Commerce to honor the Ball family’s philanthropic dedication in the community.
What many do not realize is that a walk over to the quad to see Beneficence or have lunch in front of Benny is a link from Muncie to the rest of the world. Daniel Chester French, who was commissioned to design Benificence also created the Lincoln Memorial, the Minuteman at Concord, and George Washington in Paris; this and more details on his career and contributions to BSU can be found in Benny: A History Of Beneficence.
Benny: A History Of Beneficence states, “He [French] titled his work Beneficence, which he felt aptly described the feelings of the community and the actions of the Ball brothers. Finally erected in the midst of the Great Depression, Beneficence has become a chief icon of the University, and it symbolizes the selflessness of the Ball family in their affection for the community. The statue was the last piece French created before his death. Benny: A History Of Beneficence, “He intently studied the Ball brothers with the objective of attaining a concept for a sculpture that would accurately embody these great men.” Certainly French understood the Ball’s commitment to philanthropy.
While Benny's lasting impressions as a symbol for the university will outlive all of us, it is important to note that without placing her along the edge of the quad, the physical manifestation of the Ball’s legacy would not be what it is today. Sure, she is a symbol students come in contact with daily through ads and paperwork, but until we stand in front of her and gaze upward, we cannot truly experience that which is Benificence.
It seems too that there is a distinction between Beneficence the icon, and Benny the friendly being.I take a trip to visit her every Fall when I return to campus and each Spring when the weather turns. I would suggest you do the same. Benny is a familiar face, and is referenced in conversation by students like a friend. She is more than another landmark on campus. A bronze statue’s impression on students has even created the folklore which I began with. . ."If you kiss your one true love in front of Beneficence with your eyes closed her wings flutter. But it has to be your true love and you can’t open your eyes because if you do, Benny won't do it if you do.” I've never seen her wings flap, but am considering giving it a try myself before I graduate.
Beneficence is a statue and a being. Out of this space on campus, an icon has been born.
Bracken Library Special Archives: Benny: A History Of Beneficence
Photos: Courtesy of Beth Simmons and D.Liv
