UT Austin to unveil Barbara Jordan statue

© 2009 The Associated Press April 20, 2009, 10:32PM

AUSTIN, Texas — A statue of pioneering lawmaker Barbara Jordan will become the first of a woman on the Austin campus of the University of Texas when it is unveiled Friday.

Jordan was the first black woman in the Texas Legislature and went on to become the first black woman from a Southern state in the U.S. House of Representatives. She died in 1996 at age 59.

In 2003, students approved a $1 student fee to raise money for a statue of Jordan and one of farm worker leader Cesar Chavez.

The Austin American-Statesman reports the unveiling ceremony of the eight foot tall statue created by California artist Bruce Wolfe is scheduled for noon.

Wolfe is the same artist commissioned to create a sculpture of Jordan located in the main terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.