THE BOOKSTORE

In 1968 the NAU Bookstore and Post Office was completed for approximately $500,000. The statue that currently stands in front of the bookstore was crafted by Charles Bonney, a NAU student and sculptor. Bonney made a deal with President Walkup to design and cast the eight-foot bronze statue of a lumberjack. Both men agreed to deviate from the traditional lumberjack image (beard, plaid shirt) by portraying a handsome, vigorous youth to serve as a symbol of the campus and newly-named Northern Arizona University. Using himself as a model so to spare the expense of hiring one, Bonney worked twenty-hour weeks for months and was paid $1.70 an hour. The statue was well received by the campus community, and Bonney received a $500 honorarium for his efforts.