Alumna graces campus with gift of new sculpture

A gift from one of Heidelberg’s most iconic families will add a new measure of happiness for generations to come and serve as a backdrop for preserving memories of time spent on campus.

Jane (Hoernemann) Hieronymus, ’64, provided inspiration and funding for Heidelberg’s newest sculpture – a vibrant, orange “H” – nestled between the University Hall and the Bryenton Honors Center lawn on Greenfield Street. 

The 8-foot sculpture is of the signature Heidelberg “H” and is a gift in memory of Jane’s mother, Joan Transue Hoernemann, ’40.

“When planning this project, I thought about my mother and all of her years of being at Heidelberg and in Tiffin,” Jane says. “She loved Heidelberg and all of the activities around campus, so I thought this would be great to create in her memory.”

Heidelberg worked with Signature Sign Company out of Cleveland to craft and install the “H” sculpture. Signature Sign has been fabricating and installing recognizable signs for more than 30 years, most notably the symbolic “Cleveland” sign often seen in photographs.

Local firm JDH Construction built and installed the base and landscaped the area.

Jane hopes that the new “H” sculpture brings a lot of smiles to those who see it. 

“I hope people see happiness when they see it,” she says. “At the time we decided to do this, there was no COVID. But now, I hope students gather around it and have their picture taken, and alumni will do the same when they come back.”

“My mother loved to be around people and she certainly loved Heidelberg,” Jane adds. “If she were here, she would have loved to get her picture taken beside it.”