Centre College to honor Justice John Marshall Harlan with sculpture by artist Ed Hamilton
Centre College will soon pay tribute to one of its most distinguished alumni, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, class of 1850, with the installation of a new sculpture in his honor on the Danville campus.
The statue, created by renowned Louisville artist Ed Hamilton, will be placed in a redesigned Rogers Plaza, located in front of Sutcliffe Hall and Old Carnegie. Originally approved by the College Board of Trustees in 2022, the project is being made possible entirely through philanthropic support.
A towering figure in American legal history, Harlan is widely recognized for his long and influential service on the U.S. Supreme Court (1877–1911), where he became known as “The Great Dissenter.” His principled, solitary dissents in many landmark cases, including Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), frequently championed racial equality and helped lay the groundwork for the eventual overturning of the “separate but equal” doctrine in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
“Justice Harlan’s legacy of moral courage, intellectual integrity, and commitment to the Constitution reflects the very best of what Centre College strives to instill in its students,” said Centre President Milton Moreland. “We hope his example of educational growth, open-mindedness, and critical thinking — even when standing alone — inspires generations of Centre students just as it has lawyers, judges, civil rights advocates and citizens committed to justice and equality.”
The sculpture is the latest in a series of public art installations on the Centre campus, including a striking glass-and-steel memorial dedicated to the memory of late Centre glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell ‘74, and a student-designed mural celebrating the life and work of the late Anne Lubbers, a beloved biology professor. The College is currently soliciting proposals from artists for the next planned public artwork, a tribute to the students who first integrated Centre. Later this year, the College will launch a new website and campus map celebrating campus public art and providing more information to visitors.
Born in nearby Boyle County, Harlan became the Court’s most prominent and often sole defender of the constitutional rights of Black Americans and others who were denied equal recognition by the courts. Harlan entered Centre College at age 15, studied under then-College President John C. Young, and graduated with honors in 1850. He volunteered as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, resisted segregation as Kentucky Attorney General during the Reconstruction Era, and ultimately served 34 years on the nation’s highest court. Over his tenure, Harlan authored more than 1,100 opinions, often in lonely dissent supporting issues like antitrust enforcement, worker-protection legislation, and the federal income tax that later became the law of the land. Many of Harlan’s dissents defending federal civil-rights protections were published in Black newspapers across the country and, according to the Supreme Court Historical Society, thousands gathered at Black churches for services after his death in 1911.
Like much of the United States’ legal and political history following Reconstruction, Harlan’s legacy is not without complexity.
“During a time of U.S. expansionism, he contended without success that constitutional protections “followed the flag” and applied to persons in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and other new U.S. territories. Yet some scholars have criticized his acceptance that birthright citizenship did not apply to the children of Chinese immigrants,” noted journalist and biographer Peter S. Canellos, author of “The Great Dissenter,” an acclaimed biography of John Marshall Harlan and his presumed half-brother Robert Harlan — who achieved prominence as a Black political leader and businessman.
“But the fact that even a single jurist in the decades of segregation stood apart from the others — declaring that the Constitution meant what it said about equal protection under the law — was a powerful incentive for the next generation of civil rights leaders. The difference between one and none was the difference between hope and no hope, light and darkness.”
In conjunction with the sculpture’s dedication, Centre will launch the Great Dissenter Lecture Series, an annual public event that will bring leading legal minds, historians, and policymakers to campus to explore the enduring power of dissent, the courage to challenge prevailing norms, and the transformative impact of questioning the status quo. Centre has also launched the John Marshall Harlan Scholars Program, which provides mentorship, internships, and support to juniors and seniors who are planning to apply to law school.
"The study of history is the study of people’s impact on society and those who followed them," said Moreland. "Like all figures in our history, Harlan was complex, but his legacy of speaking up in defense of civil rights and individual liberties reminds us that dissent from collectively held popular opinions is an integral part of the American story."
The installation of the Harlan sculpture will coincide with a comprehensive redesign of Rogers Plaza, with modernized features that demonstrate Centre's commitment to accessibility, safety and innovative learning. The redesign, like the sculpture, is made possible by generous philanthropic gifts from alumni and friends.
About Centre College
Centre College, founded in 1819 and located in Danville, Kentucky, is a nationally ranked liberal arts college known for its academic excellence, dedicated faculty, and strong commitment to student success. With a tradition of producing leaders in law, government, business, and education, Centre offers a deeply personal and transformative college experience.
