UofO 'Falconer' Bronze Statue Stolen, Feared Sold for Scrap

EUGENE -- The University of Oregon is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the return of a bronze statue.

University spokesman Phil Weiler says university officials noticed The Falconer sculpture missing Nov. 24. At first, they though it might have been removed for cleaning. A day or two later, they realized it had been stolen.

Northwest sculptor James Lee Hansen created The Falconer in the 1960s, and Jordan Schnitzer donated it to the university in 1974.

The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver, Wash., reported last year that Hansen's pieces typically sell for between $10,000 and $125,000.

Weiler says The Falconer weighs between 200 and 300 pounds and stands more than 3 feet tall. University officials have provided
photos of the sculpture to local scrap dealers, in hopes of heading off a sale.