New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-02
JOHN 0. A. WARD DEAD
Dean of American ScuIptors
Succunbs to Long Illness.
WAS STILL WORKING AT 30
Called Maker of American His
tory, He Studied His Art
Wholly in This Country.

John Quincy Adams Ward. dean Of Amer
ic1n sculptors. died yesterday morning Al
his home. No. 296 Manhattan avenue, after
an illness lasting since the first week III
February Although in his eightieth year
Mr.. Ward had been busy ali winter model
ling a figure of the late August Belmont
for the Iatters son and namesake. He
was engaged upon this work when he was
stricken by the complication of diseases
which caused his death.
The last completed model executed by
the famous sculptor was that of the eques-
trian statue of General Hancock for the
city of Philadelphia. tt was supposed
that following the completion Of this work
Mr. Ward had retired from the active pjlr-
suit Of his art. This was in the fall or
1908. when he sold his studio. No 11s
West SD street. to Charles Henry Me
haus. another sculptor, who for years had
occupied the ateIier in west 36th street
in which the late Augustus St Gsudfns
had executed important commissions.
But Mr. Wards relatives said yesterday
that the aged artist had been working
quietly on the commission from August
Belmont following his recovery from Sc
we're illness from which he had SUFFERED
in the winter Of 190S-'09. 1t was because
his health had become impaired in the
summer of 1908 that Mrs. Ward had per
suaded him to retire.
The sculptor was born on June -, $50
in the little town of Urbans. Ohio about
forty miles from Columbus. the son Of
John A. and Eleanor Macbeth Ward =
Maternal ancestor, John Ward. reached this
side Of the Atlantic in 1919. landing a.
jamestown. Va and maternal ancestor
settled in Pennsylvania in 1885. His line
age the fact that he never studied abroad
| and the character Of his work made I'M"
| what his brother artists have often called
/ him. an indigenous artist. one of the
makers of American history.
Made History in Sculpture.
In another sens. he was maker OF
,.ori.a, history" since he had pre-
| served its chapters for all time IN the races
and figures of his many noted statues ne
| washington. in front of the Sub-TreasuTT,
! IN Wall street. an equestrian statue. and
the washington, at Newport; Horace
/ Greeley in front of the Tribune Building
Roscoe ConkIing. I'm Madison Square; Gen
! eraI Morgan at Spartansburg: Gar7eld III
! Washington; the Henry Ward Beecher' III
/ front of the Borough Hall. tn BrookIyh'
/ General Israel Putnam, at Hartford Zen
! Aral George n. Thomas in Washington ;
/ Commodore Perry. at Newport. and Cen
sral Hancock, in Philadelphia. are some Of
/ these
| Mr.. Wards primary education was re-
csived at private school III his nauNe
! town From his earliest childhood he
wrought in cav images Of horses and other
animals and men on horseback subsequent
stndy in the public schools Of Urbana did
/ ~ and
finally he came under the tuteIsge of John
| ogden. :. LAWYER of the village, whose en-
! ,oura cement he always valued But the
country people called him Wards queer
| boy"
| He never raw A real piece Of sculpture
until he was fifteen years old Once he
went TO Cincinnati where he saw work
by Hiram Powers. He tried hard after
| that to work out his ambition, which his
stern Presbyterian parents called arrant
| foOhshness.
| Just about this time a sympathetic sister
from Brooklyn paid visit 20 the old home
The boy was suffering from i'll health. which
greatly depressed him, and to give him
change of scene his sister took him with
her TO Brooklyn. She asked him If he
would like to become sculptor, and when
! he bashfulIy admitted that such was his
shameful ambition she brought him over
to Manhattan to see H. h Brown, the
/ sculptor.
! But for weeks he did not have the cour-
age 70 enter Mr.. Browns studio. Finally
he pIucked up the necessary courage and
applied TO be received as an art student.
He was told to model something as an eX-
pertinent. Getting copy of the Venus de
| Medfci and bag of clay. he executed A
model and Immediately was accepted as 4
pupil.