The Legacy of Beneficence

Since its completion in 1937, Beneficence has served as a reminder of the great generosity of the Ball family, and it has also become the main icon of Ball State University. Students and faculty have affectionately name the statue "Benny," and considerable corpus of popular myths have been generated about the monument. Perhaps the most notable of these myths entails that a young female student does not officially become a coed until she is kissed by a young gentleman beneath "Benny." Despite the multiple meanings Beneficence has accumulated over the years, her original significance as a monument to the Ball brothers has not been forgotten, and her importance as an exemplary work of art is undeniable.

Beneficence, 1964.