Statue of George Mason

Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website as written by Angelica Garcia and Genna Duplisea:

Introduction
Named in honor of Virginia politician George Mason, the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights that supported independence and served as a model for the Bill of Rights, George Mason University is the largest largest university by enrollment numbers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1957, GMU became an independent institution in 1972. This statue of George Mason honors the school's namesake and is frequently decorated by student groups with the approval of the university's administration. Mason is notable for many reasons; his opposition to the US Constitution led to the creation of the Bill of Rights. He was also a slave owner who hoped to end the slave trade. Like several Founding Fathers, he freed his slaves in his will but refused to do so during his own lifetime, owing to his financial dependency on the institution of slavery.

Backstory and Context
The bronze statue, created by Wendy M. Ross, stands seven and half feet tall. It was dedicated in 1996. It depicts Mason holding his Virginia Bill of Rights, with one hand on a writing table copied from an existing table that remains in Gunston Hall, Mason's estate. The books on the table in the statue cite Locke, Rousseau, and Hume, some of Mason's influences.