Bust of Judge Frank D. Foley by William J. Thompson

Inconspicuous in its corner by the ticket window outside of Foley Field, the bust of Judge Foley cuts a rather unimposing figure, depicting a man in a rumpled UGA baseball uniform, intent on welcoming visitors to the Diamond Dawgs’ home field. The bust stands in memoriam of Judge Frank D. Foley, an attorney from Columbus, GA, and notable UGA alumnus. Foley, the pitcher and first-baseman for UGA’s 1908 championship baseball team, was also a lifelong supporter of the University of Georgia and its athletics program.

Even though the bust has moved around quite a few times, it is currently located at the visitor’s entrance to the stadium. Installed as part of a 1968 memorial project for Judge Foley (including naming the baseball field in his honor), the bust was meant to honor Foley’s commitment to the University and his role in the 1908 Diamond Dawgs baseball season.

As part of the project, William J. Thompson (an art professor at the UGA Lamar Dodd School of Art) created the bust. Thompson, who worked at UGA from 1964 to 1983, was well-known for his sculptures, and during his time at UGA, he created a variety of sculptures that represented various historic figures, locations and events.

For more information on William J. Thompson’s sculpting process, check out this audio file of his interview with Barbara Reasley of the Richard B. Russell Oral History Project, where Professor Thompson discusses his “experiences with the sculpting process”: http://ohms.libs.uga.edu/viewer.php?cachefile=russell/RBRL216RBROH-101.xml