Viktor E. Frankl, M.D., Ph.D., Viennna, Austria, 1905-1997, was a celebrated neurologist and psychiatrist, and author of 32 books. Some thirty five years ago in his national best selling book Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Frankl advanced the idea that to have freedom endure, liberty must be joined with responsibility. To that end, he proposed that the “Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.” Man’s Search for Meaning is a personal account of his experiences in WWII Nazi concentration camps. The book has been translated into 28 languages and has sold over 9 million copies. The book is on the U.S. Library of Congress exclusive list of the “Ten Most Influential Books in America”. Frankl, a guest lecturer at 209 universities on all five continents, held 29 honorary doctorates from universities around the world. He received 19 national and international awards and medals for his work in psychotherapy and psychiatry. An avid pilot and mountain climber, Frankl was an inspirational speaker and believer that man can control his thoughts and attitudes and find happiness and joy in even the most awful of human circumstances. Dr. Frankl practiced what he preached while a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau. Dr. Frankl was a professional who possessed the rare ability to write in a layman’s language. Dr. Frankl died in 1997. He is survived by his second wife Eleonore and their daughter Gabriele who together founded the Viktor Frankl Institute in 1992.

Dr. Frankl’s vision of two mighty “bookend” monuments standing on the East and West coast of America, speaking to the world of the need for liberty and responsibility in maintaining freedom, is now becoming reality.

Several years before his death in 1997, James Newman, friend and colleague of Dr. Frankl and Founder/President of the PACE Organization, set up a committee of four individuals (Dr. Viktor Frankl from Vienna, Austria; James Newman from Studio City, California; Dr. Stephen R. Covey from Provo, Utah; Kevin L. Hall from Orange County, California) to see Dr. Frankl’s idea through to completion. Mr. Newman was an early pioneer in the field of human development. He authored the best selling book, Release Your Brakes, and was a sought after mentor and speaker, presenting to thousands world-wide. Kevin Hall felt a responsibility to move the idea forward and made a promise to Mr. Newman’s widow, Nanette, to see the project through to successful completion. In 1997, Kevin Hall commissioned internationally recognized sculptor Gary Lee Price to design and sculpt the Statue of Responsibility. A preliminary, 13 foot tall clay prototype of the design has been completed and currently resides in the sculptor’s private studio.

Daniel L Bolz, long-time business colleague of sculptor Gary Lee Price, was introduced to the Statue of Responsibility project by original committee member Kevin Hall, in 2002. Mr. Bolz now serves as President & CEO of The Statue of Responsibility Foundation.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11 th, 2001, on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the original committee and The Statue of Responsibility Foundation have been focused on their work to bring the project to fruition.