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Rutland, Vermont, celebrated a new public sculpture Thursday that honors a trailblazer in higher education.
The bust of Martin Henry Freeman was installed late last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant the sculpture’s dedication had to be delayed until now. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.
Martin Henry Freeman was born in Rutland 195 years ago. His grandfather earned his freedom from slavery by fighting in the Revolutionary War.
According to organizers of the Downtown Rutland Sculpture Trail, Freeman was among the very first Black students to go to college in Vermont. He went on to become a leading abolitionist and even the first Black man to lead a college in the United States as president before the Civil War.