Since Buckminister Fuller is hailed as one of the great minds of the 20th century, it has always surprised me that Carbondale does not do more to play up the city's connection to him. Near as I can tell, we have 2 geodesic domes on campus, 1 in downtown, the Fuller Dome Home, run by a non-profit which has struggled for funding for years and one other geodesic dome house a bit further west of the Fuller Home. There is also a mosaic in the sidewalk on South Illinois, one of a few installed as part of the aborted "Stars on Main" project of 2 decades ago. Why do SIUC and the city not play up the connection they have to one of the few figures of international renown to call the city home? Based upon the attention paid to him and his work in the city, no-one who visits Carbondale would know anything about the city's and university's connection to Fuller.
How about renaming a building or street on campus in his honor? Maybe rename Douglas Drive Fuller Drive? Maybe install a Dymaxion map someplace on campus or in downtown. There is some evidence that art on streets reduces accidents so maybe paint a map at the intersection of Main and Illinois or one of the other major intersections in town. We paint pawprints every year so why not something calling attention to the communities link to Fuller.
Buckminster Fuller was indirectly "fired" from SIUC with the then administration making life so difficult for him that he was forced to leave. More than coincidentally, this was two years after the great purge from which SIUC has never fully recovered from. Supposed "socialists" as well as creative faculty were targeted by Derge who had worked with Nixon. It is not surprsing that neither Carbondale not SIUC would want to honor a person known for his excellent creativity, especially a "dead white male."
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Thanks
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