The Cornell University Library has removed a bust of President Abraham Lincoln and a bronze plaque of the Gettysburg Address after reportedly receiving a complaint.
Randy Wayne, a professor of biology at Cornell, said the library had removed the display, which had been there since 2013, after “someone complained,” the College Fix reported.
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In a statement to the Washington Examiner, university spokeswoman Rebecca Valli said the bust of Lincoln “was part of a temporary exhibit on the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address” and that it had been on display from 2013-2021. With the display gone, only an empty case remains.
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Lincoln delivered the famous oration on Nov. 19, 1863, four months after the Civil War battle on the site claimed over 50,000 lives on both sides of the conflict —the most of any single battle of the conflict.
“Cornell proudly possesses one of five known copies of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln’s hand,” Valli said. “The original is safely sequestered, with a digital facsimile on permanent display. Additionally, five electronic Lincoln exhibitions are available for 24/7 viewing online.”
Wayne remains unconvinced of the university’s version of events. In an email to the Washington Examiner, he said he did not believe that the university’s statement “is the whole truth.”
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“Hopefully, we will find the truth about who authorized the removal of the bust and the plaque and why,” Wayne said.
The university did not respond to questions about whether or not the removal of the bust had been planned ahead of time and why its removal had not been announced beforehand.
