John Mackay Statue

Dedicated on June 10, 1908, the statue of John Mackay that stands at the north end of the University of Nevada Quad in front of the Mackay School of Mines honors the only Comstock mining baron to give back to the state of Nevada. In 1873, while exploring a vein of low-grade ore in the Consolidated Virginia and California mine at Virginia City, Nevada, John W. Mackay and his partner James Fair discovered the Big Bonanza ore body, the most valuable discovery of the Comstock Lode. Mackay’s statue stands in a working miner's humble attire, holding a pick in one hand and a piece of ore in the other, facing the mountains of Virginia City, which gifted him with wealth.

The statue's story began in March of 1906, when Nevada state controller and newspaper publisher Sam P. Davis proposed installing a sculpture of John Mackay, his late friend, at the new Nevada State Library in Carson City. Davis presented the idea to John Mackay's son, Clarence H. Mackay, who agreed to fund the project at a projected cost of $15,000 to $20,000 and to commission as its sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who would later sculpt the four presidents' heads on Mount Rushmore.

The proposed statue of John Mackay was accepted by Governor John Sparks on behalf of the people of Nevada, but officials decided not to install it on the state library grounds, feeling it inappropriate to single out one specific individual for commemoration there. University of Nevada President Joseph E. Stubbs offered to install it on the university's campus in Reno, suggesting a site in front of the school's mining laboratory, which the university hoped to expand. Within a few months, Clarence Mackay not only announced that the statue would be installed in front of the university's new mining building at the north end of the main quadrangle, but also that he would be donating more than $50,000 toward the construction of the building itself in memory of his father.

The dedication ceremony on June 10, 1908 was attended by an estimated 10,000 people and coincided with commencement day at the university. In his dedication address for the statue and the new School of Mines building, Clarence Mackay expressed his dedication to bettering mining education in Nevada in gratitude for all the state had given to his family.

The statue was the first of many gifts to the University of Nevada campus from the Mackays. Between 1907 and 1936, Clarence directed a large portion of his inheritance toward the university, donating approximately $2,000,000 for the building of the Mackay School of Mines, Mackay Athletic Field, and Mackay Science Hall, among other campus improvements.

The statue has appeared in classic Hollywood films including "Mother Is a Freshman" and "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College." It is a popular setting for fraternity and sports team photos, and is at the center of traditional campus events such as "Mackay Week." First celebrated in 1913 as Mackay Day, the week serves as a time for students to clean and improve the campus and participate in a variety of spirited activities.

The statue was rededicated on April 25, 1996, in a Mackay Week ceremony hosted by the School of Mines and attended by John Mackay's descendants and school alumni. The ceremony included a tribute to John Mackay, an open house at the School of Mines, a reception at the home of university benefactors Richard and Ann Marie Harris, and a gala event at the Silver Legacy Grande Exposition Hall.

The statue has come under close scrutiny in recent years due in part to sculptor Gutzon Borglum's documented associations with the Ku Klux Klan beginning in 1915, several years after he completed the Mackay Statue. An examination of those associations and their possible implications for the statue was conducted by the John Mackay Statue Discussion Advisory Committee, convened by the University of Nevada in 2020. Their final report is available from the UNR Office of the Provost upon request.

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