Artful Ending

Gordon Gave a Hoot

This patinated bronze owl, part of the Woodmere Art Museum collection in Philadelphia, is the Temple University mascot as interpreted by Kenneth H. Gordon Jr., MD ’48.

A child psychiatrist and sculptor, Gordon (1924-2005) was President of Temple’s medical alumni association from 1995 to 1997 and for a time also served on the school’s faculty.

But more than just a loyal Temple Owl, Gordon is to credit for preserving a national historic treasure: Valley Forge National Park.

In the early 1970s, upon learning that the land (then stateowned) was slated for commercial development, Gordon mounted the campaign to save it. He lobbied Congress, created petitions signed by thousands of voters, and presented testimony to three separate congressional committees in Washington, D.C.

Gordon devoted five years to saving the land symbolic of the American struggle for independence. In 1975, his efforts finally paid off. Every year, the park attracts well over a million visitors.