General Harrison Gray Otis Statue (1920) 

Paul Troubetzkoy

 DESCRIPTION:  cast bronze life-size statue of General Harrison Gray Otis, mounted on a 4-foot high granite boulder, accompanied by
  • cast bronze life-size statue/sculpture of a newspaper boy (extant)
  • cast bronze life-size statue/sculpture of a young soldier, mounted on a granite boulder (removed)


This tribute to General Harrison Gray Otis included two companion statue/sculptures, a young soldier (removed), and a newspaper boy (intact), to reflect General Otis' military and journalistic achievements.  Otis served as a captain in the Civil War and later as Brigadier General during the 1899 Philippine-American War.  Undoubtedly illustrating his bronze plaque's quote "STAND FAST, STAND FIRM, STAND SURE, STAND TRUE," he is depicted in military uniform in an advancing stance, pointing ahead.  Earlier in 1882 Otis became editor and publisher of what later became the Los Angeles Times.
The life-size cast bronze of a young soldier standing next to the General was removed at an unknown time in the past (see below circa 1920 photograph).  According to University of California Libraries data, after the soldier sculpture was damaged by a car it was transferred to the basement of the Otis Art Institute.  The Otis Art Institute however has no information regarding the statue's damage, removal, or its location.  The boulder upon which it was mounted, however, is still in place.
General Harrison Gray Otis statue:
Newspaper Boy sculpture:
LOCATION:  northwest corner of MacArthur Park,  Wilshire Blvd. and S. Park View Street, MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
Young Soldier sculpture:[CIRCA 1920s PHOTOGRAPH showing sculpture of young soldier, taken by Charles C. Pierce) [source:  University of Southern California Libraries; California Historical Society]