Pyfer Bear Sculpture In Place At McLane SLC

Media contact: Lori Fogleman, director of media communications, (254) 710-6275

After nearly a decade in the making, the 9-foot-tall, 1,200-pound Pyfer bear sculpture has a new home in front of Baylor University's McLane Student Life Center.

The bronze sculpture, created by Dr. Douglas W. Crow, professor of German and sculptor-in-residence at Baylor, was installed Nov. 12 in the island circle in front of the SLC. The massive sculpture rests on a 7-foot granite rock that weighs approximately 30,000 lbs. A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 17.

The Pyfer bear sculpture was funded through a generous gift by Carol (Trice) Pyfer and her husband, John F. Pyfer, of Lancaster, Pa.

The life-like bear is a tribute to Carol's parents, R.P. "Dick" and Dorothy Boyd Trice, and Carol's uncle, Bill Boyd, who was the first official trainer of Baylor's bear mascot, Joe College, back in the 1930s. Both of Carol's parents received the B.B.A. degree in 1936 from Baylor. Her father is still living and resides in Tyler, Texas.

Carol received her bachelor's degree in speech and language therapy cum laude from Baylor in 1969 and her master's degree in speech and language therapy from Vanderbilt University in 1970. While at Baylor, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and Mortar Board and was an officer in Student Government. John graduated from Vanderbilt Law School and practices law in Lancaster, Pa. They have two children and are life members of the Baylor Alumni Association.

The Pyfer bear is the largest sculpture ever created by Crow. He has been working on the sculpture in the old L.L. Sams Building for nearly a decade, donating his time to the bear's creation.

"The McLane Student Life Center is the perfect location for the Pyfer's gift of the bear sculpture, because a great percentage of students visit the SLC or walk by on their way to the Baylor Sciences Building every day," said Cody Knowlton, senior executive director for unit development at Baylor. "Prospective students will see it, since the SLC is a regular stop on all tours of the campus, and I can imagine, too, that the Pyfer bear will be a popular destination for visitors to take photos of their visit to Baylor."