The dedication of the statue will take place at 12:00 noon in front of Finnie Stadium and during a break from the annual Paul “Sparky” Adams Invitational Track Meet.  The dedication will include Dillard and his family, as well as a number of Baldwin Wallace, local and regional dignitaries. In addition, alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University and the 22 other track teams that are coming to the Adams Invitational will be on hand for the public event.

The statue is the inspiration of Dillard's longtime friend and BW teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Ted Theodore '51. It was created by renowned artist and sculptor David Deming of Cleveland, who is best known for his statue of Cleveland Indian Jim Thome that sits in front of Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland and his current work on a statue of Superman that will be installed later in Cleveland.

While Dillard’s Olympic, collegiate and other athletic achievements earned him international acclaim, it was his engaging personality and lifelong dedication to track and field and youth athletics that inspired the statue in his honor.

“Last fall, we made a surprise announcement to Harrison,” recalled BW President Robert Helmer. “He was stunned. He never expected this type of attention. His legacy as an athlete, a World War II veteran and as a mentor to youth exemplifies the type of steadfastness, team spirit and triumph we try to instill in our students. “This statue serves not only as a reminder of Harrisonand his accomplishments, but also as an inspiration for all who attend events at Finnie Stadium.”

Dillard is the only man to ever win Olympic gold medals in both the 100-meter dash (in 1948 in London, England) and 110-meter high hurdles (in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland). He also won two medals in the 4x100-meter relay (1948 and 1952).

Dillard’s Olympic story is one for the ages. After winning a world-record 82 straight hurdles races and being regarded as the world’s greatest hurdler, he went to the 1948 Olympic Trials as the favorite in the 110-meter high hurdles both at the trials and for the Olympics in London. But it didn’t work out that way.

Dillard tripped over a hurdle a failed to qualify in the hurdles. But he did qualify in the 100-meter dash and as a possible member of the 4x100-meter relay. In the 100-meter finals, he outleaned the favored and teammate Barney Ewell to win the gold medal, and then joined Ewell on the 400-meter relay team to win his second gold.

In 1952 in Helsinki, Dillard earned his third gold medal when he won the 110-meter high hurdles, narrowly beating fellow American Jack Davis. He captured his fourth medal as a member of the winning 400-relay squad.

At BW, Dillard won four NCAA titles in the high and low hurdles. He also captured 14 AAU outdoor titles in the high and low hurdles. An outstanding starter, Dillard was virtually unbeatable indoors, winning the AAU 60-yard hurdles seven years in a row from 1947 through 1953 and again in 1955. A world record holder in both the high and low hurdles, Dillard won the 1953 Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete.

Following graduation from BW in 1949, Dillard worked as a scout and public relations assistant for the Cleveland Indians, but his career was just getting started. For many years, Dillard, a strong supporter of education, worked as the business manager for the Cleveland Board of Education. That is just a part of his commitment to education and youth.

Today and for many years, Dillard has given back to the community by working with and being available for young people, whether they were an athlete, competed in track or not. He is a yearly fixture at the annual  Harrison Dillard Indoor Championship Meet for the Cleveland City Schools that takes place on the Harrison Dillard Track in the Lou Higgins Center at BW.