Great White Fathers
By John Taliaferro
History 1302
MW 9:00 a.m.

The main idea of the book was obsession. It was an obsession that spanned many lives and many decades, and wore many names. In South Dakota, it was Doane Robinson, an historian and avid promoter of the state’s many virtues, along with Peter Norbeck, a native of the state who rose through the ranks of state government to the United States Senate, who wanted to bring the bountiful fruits of the tourism industry home. Then, there was the general obsession by the American people, or at least the wealthy and influential ones, to memorialize every great person or important event in American history. Finally, there was Gutzon Borglum himself, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore. His was a life of obsession from beginning to end.
South Dakota was a beautiful place, but out of the way. It also had a seriously flagging economy. Robinson and Norbeck felt that by exploiting the natural beauty and history of South
Dakota they could draw tourists from all over the country, and perhaps the world, into their backyard thus breathing new life into the economy. The problem was getting them there. They concluded that the Black Hills should be the centerpiece of their plan, with some sort of monument to the important figures of the region such as General George Custer, killed at Little
Big Horn, along with Sioux heroes such as Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse. As the automobile began to weave itself into the fabric of American culture, roads began to criss-cross the countryside. Robinson and Norbeck wanted some of those roads to lead into South Dakota.
On a national scale, the politicians and those that backed them became interested in building memorials and monuments to the great deeds that had been done in America. Many
Civil War monuments were built during this period; shrines to Abraham Lincoln in the North,
Robert E. Lee in the South. Washington D.C. had been left largely unfinished and now it was time to finish it as the originators had intended. Many great works were commissioned, with architecture and sculpture being predominant. Monuments were made to George Washington,

Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln and many others. reminiscent of ancient Greek structures.

Federal buildings were ornate and often

Cities across America wanted to memorialize

something; battles, important historical figures, even contemporary heroes who still lived.
Thousands upon thousands of dollars were appropriated by the government or spent by wealthy patrons every year to make these memorials possible, many of which Borglum was a part of.
Now we must look at Borglum himself. He was obsessed with greatness, particularly the greatness of art. Borglum never let little things like money (or a lack thereof), friendship, propriety, or common sense get in the way of his art. He often spent his own money on his projects and actually lost money on some of his best work. He constantly railed against (and ultimately alienated) the art establishment as being inferior. Borglum was also obsessed with great men, and wanted to be one himself. He was fascinated by Lincoln in particular, but had a deep appreciation for the Founding Fathers as well. He was a personal friend and fervent supporter of Theodore Roosevelt, and throughout his life he campaigned for many different political candidates and causes, even becoming associated with the Ku Klux Klan for a time.
One must put all of these factors together with the national sentiment toward monuments and the invitation by Norbeck to carve a monument in the Black Hills in order to fully appreciate
Mount Rushmore. The author put it best describing this colossal monument as “Great Men carved by a Great Man”. It had never been done before, and nothing like it will ever be done again. Only Borglum could have conceived it, and only he could have finished it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mount Rushmore is a marvel of art, engineering, and perseverance. The book also tells the many streams of history that converge there: the Sioux, the bikers of Sturgis, Custer, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, simple miners,
Rodin, and the millions of tourists who visit each year. Definitely a must read.