A&S Outstanding Former Faculty Member 2000

 Robert Russin

Robert I. Russin’s contributions to the University and State of Wyoming go beyond his sculptures, as well known as they are. As a faculty member in the Department of Art for almost four decades, he motivated and inspired the many students who passed under his tutelage. Born in New York City, he earned a B.A. and M.A. from the College of the City of New York and did graduate study under a fellowship at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design. Before he was 25, Professor Russin won two national federal sculpture competitions. After joining the UW faculty in 1947, he was granted a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in Italy, to which he has returned frequently to work on projects. His sculptures grace many Wyoming locations, as well as sites around the country and abroad. "Wyoming Family" and "Ben Franklin" on campus, "Prometheus" in Casper, "Wyoming Crystal" in the Capitol, and the monumental head of Lincoln above Laramie are perhaps the best known to UW alumni. As former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson said, "The genuine notoriety that he has brought to our state because of his remarkable gifts" will live on "in the hearts of Wyoming people."