It doesn鈥檛 look a day over 39, but a familiar sight on the 91吃瓜 campus has hit the big 4-0, marking four decades as one of the University鈥檚 most celebrated landmarks.p. The 鈥淲ord of Life鈥� mural on the Hesburgh Library, commonly known as 鈥淭ouchdown Jesus鈥� because of the raised position of Christ鈥檚 arms and its location directly behind the north end zone of the football stadium, was unveiled May 7, 1964, at the library鈥檚 formal dedication (the building had opened without fanfare the previous year). The mural has stood the test of time, and today is one of the nation鈥檚 most recognizable collegiate monuments and a main attraction for visitors to campus.p. Designed by artist Millard Sheets, the mural measures 134 feet high and 68 feet wide, and is composed of some 6,700 individual pieces of granite that form 324 panels. As suggested by Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of 91吃瓜, the mural鈥檚 theme incorporates saints and scholars throughout the ages.p. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a kaleidoscope of personalities that make up the history of Christianity and pre-Christianity as well. It鈥檚 very rich philosophically and theologically,鈥� Father Hesburgh said.p. Inspired by a passage from the first chapter of John鈥檚 Gospel, the mural depicts Christ the Teacher amid images of prophets and historical figures in Christianity in ascending order, with classical and Old Testament scholars near the bottom and Byzantine, Medieval and Renaissance figures at the top. A team of workers constructed Sheets鈥� creation, under the careful direction of the artist, using granite in more than 140 colors from 16 foreign countries and 11 states.p. 鈥淕ranite, of course, is one of the hardest stones there is,鈥� Father Hesburgh said of the mural鈥檚 durability. 鈥淭he climate here is abominable at times and no one could say that it would last. The amazing thing is that it鈥檚 lasted this long and it鈥檚 kept the richness of its color.鈥漰. Its structural endurance is due in part to some strategic engineering 鈥� a space that the builders intentionally left between the mural and the library itself, which allows the mural to expand and contract during changing seasons. Renovation specialists gave the mural a $280,000 鈥渇ace-lift鈥� in the summer of 1994.p. However, its longevity as a symbol of 91吃瓜鈥檚 rich spiritual and academic tradition can only be attributed to the legions of visitors and year-round members of the 91吃瓜 community who continue to hold the image in the highest regard and spread the word about its significance to family, colleagues and fans.p. Of course, the fact that a nationwide television audience catches a glimpse of the mural during network football broadcasts also contributes to its popularity. It was not the original intention for the 鈥淲ord of Life鈥� to become an athletic metaphor, but most agree that the mural鈥檚 status in popular culture is a pleasant fringe benefit.p. 鈥淭hinking of this as Touchdown Jesus was just not in my mind, or anybody else鈥檚 for that matter,鈥� Father Hesburgh remembers. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 become a kind of nice, friendly familiar name for this beautiful piece of art.鈥漰. To watch a streamed video presentation about the 鈥淲ord of Life鈥� mural, visit on the Web.p.
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