Sep. 26, 1996-Vol28n05: UB to unveil its bronze buffalo

UB will unveil its new icon-a life-size bronze buffalo -at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4.

The bronze buffalo-a reproduction of the original buffalo statue that for years was the focal point of the old Central Railroad Terminal in Buffalo-will be temporarily installed in the lobby of Alumni Arena.

The statue was to have been installed permanently on a simple bronze platform in Coventry Loop in front of the Center for the Arts, but the university needs more time to design the base and possibly raise more funds to cover the cost, said Ronald Nayler, associate vice president for university facilities.

Nayler said UB will continue to work with Ciminelli Construction, which has offered to work on the base and installation as an in-kind contribution. The target date to permanently install the statue in Coventry Loop is some time next spring, he added.

The buffalo statue was funded with $25,000 gifts from Gerald Goldhaber, UB associate professor of communication, and Burt P. Flickinger Jr., a prominent Western New York businessman and community leader.

It was produced by Messmore & Damon, Inc., a New York City company whose founder, G.H. Messmore, sculpted the original Central Terminal buffalo for New York Central Railroad in the 1930s.