KORTNEY YOUNG
Special to The Leader
William King, born in Jacksonville, Florida on February 25, 1925, was an artist right up until days before his recent death on March 4, 2015. He was a sculptor of many mediums, and specialized in figures that mocked human nature. For the Fredonia students, King’s most prevalent sculpture sits atop a hill that they’ve named for it: Three Man Hill.
King came to New York and attended Cooper Union, where he got his start selling sculptures before he had even graduated. His work has been in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington.
Among King’s sculptures, “Words,” otherwise known as “The Tin Men” was erected on one of Fredonia’s only hills located between the wood lot and Rockefeller Arts Center (RAC), overlooking Dods Hall, the soccer fields and Symphony Circle.
Recognizable by their disproportionate body parts and character poses, the sculptures have posed over a quiet place to relax, a space to conduct class and a sight for students and faculty working diligently in RAC.
Three Man Hill is a location Fredonians are familiar with; however, some may not know just where the term originated.
“It’s the place that’s always been,” said Philip Kowalewski, a senior music performance and computer information systems double major.
The hill first received its name when three tin sculptures of men were placed atop it.
Barbara Tagua, a senior theatre arts and arts administration double major, has been enjoying the iconic statues for years.
“Usually, in the late afternoon around sunset, I like to sit out there right on the edge of Rockefeller Arts Center. You get an entire view of [Three Man Hill] and the forest and the sunset. It’s relaxing after a day of running around. I like going somewhere where it’s quiet and where I can have my own thoughts and read a book maybe.”
Many students can recall a time they spent atop Three Man Hill. Lucy Bell, a sophomore journalism and audio production major, enjoyed Vincent Quatorche’s public speaking class beneath these not-so-ordinary tin men.
Ana McCasland, sophomore video production major, first discovered the art of photographing star trails on Three Man Hill.
“Freshman year, my friend would set up his camera, and we would just lay in the grass and wait,” said McCasland.
Nicholas Latona, a senior sculpture and public relations double major, described the tin men as a landmark for campus.
“A few of us [sculpture majors], if we’re having a hard time, we’ll just go up on the hill and lean up against the sculpture,” said Latona.
“Me and my friends, we all went to Three Man Hill in the beginning of the Fall semester, and we just sat there and hung out,” said Kipling Tarsio, a junior theatre arts major. “It was really nice, and we got to look at the sunset. It actually was the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen. It was actually really breathtaking.”
The sculptures seem to have year-round use. “When I think of ‘Three Man Hill,’ I think of students going sledding,” said Kathie Hatt, a ticket office supervisor.
Three Man Hill has been a campus icon for nearly 40 years.
“It’s just kind of there, and that’s what is fun about it. It’s cool in a sense and a nice tradition to be a part of on campus,” said Nicholas Gates, a junior sculpture major.