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Capitol statues honor the famous, tragic and odd

By Charles Babington
Published September 4, 2013 5:46pm ET
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Capitol statues honor the famous, tragic and odd
A sculpture of John Gorrie of Florida, inventor of the ice machine, stands next to the popular Rosa Parks in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. A physician, scientist, and inventor, Gorrie is considered the father of refrigeration and air-conditioning; he died impoverished and virtually forgotten in 1855. Among the U.S. Capitol’s many statues which honor the nation’s founders, leaders and legends, the marble figure by scuptor C.A. Pillars, is largely overlooked by thousands of visitors who tour the Capitol daily. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) | J. Scott Applewhite

WASHINGTON (AP) — All summer, thousands of visitors traipse among the U.S. Capitol’s many statues, which honor the nation’s founders, leaders and legends.

There’s George Washington, father of his country. Abraham Lincoln, preserver of the Union. John Gorrie, inventor of the ice machine.

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