The three great men in the Three Great Men mural are indeed that: Frederick Douglass, John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. What do these three men have in common, other than being great men with identifiable names, you might ask? Well, these men had also visited Lafayette at some point in their lives! I, too, have visited Lafayette, but apparently, I am not great enough to deserve my visage plastered on a wall. Maybe someday.
Frederick Douglass is on the wall because in 1867, he spoke at Bethel A.M.E. Church on Ferry Street, a local Baptist Church. John F. Kennedy's mug is there because he spoke at Purdue University and also went to a political reception at Duncan Hall. And Abraham Lincoln is on the mural because he visited Lafayette during a whistle-stop tour in 1861, and then later, his funeral train came through the same area.
The mural is huge, and you can see it from blocks away. One might ask: "OK, so here are three great men. Where are the great women?" Well, I was told that that mural is coming soon! read more