First-ever Statue of H. Wayne Huizenga Unveiled on NSU’s Campus

(Photo caption: Wayne and Marti Huizenga sit next to the new Huizenga bronze statue.)

NSU unveiled a bronze bench and statue of H. Wayne Huizenga on its Davie campus on Saturday, June 15. The sculpture was designed and crafted by acclaimed sculptor Robert St. Croix.

“H. Wayne Huizenga is a great entrepreneur, a great humanitarian and supporter of education, and a great mentor and friend,” Said NSU President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. “All of our students can now walk across our beautiful campus and sit here next to you, and reflect on all the sage advice H. Wayne has imparted over the years. We are proud that H. Wayne Huizenga’s first statue is here on Nova Southeastern University’s campus, where he has left an indelible mark in history through his unwavering support of higher education – a Trustee for 13 years and now Trustee Emeritus.”

H. Wayne Huizenga is an NSU Board of Trustee Emeritus and the namesake for the Huizenga Business School and Huizenga Sales Institute. A consummate entrepreneur, he is the only person in America to be responsible for three Fortune 500 companies and he also developed six NYSE listed companies. In his spare time, Mr. Huizenga also owned three major league professional teams – the Miami Dolphins, Marlins, and Panthers. Fitting to his larger than life persona, the bronze statue will stand the test of time, as will his legacy.

The bench includes a plaque with a quote from President Hanbury that reads:

“We all plant seeds for shade trees under which we may never sit; however, H. Wayne Huizenga planted far more than most.”

Mr. Robert St. Croix began his career as an artist in the early 1970’s in San Francisco, where he gained a reputation for metal wall and table designs made of copper and brass. He also became very well known for his innovative water sculptures in copper, driftwood and bronze. After a career traveling, studying and sculpting, Mr. St. Croix moved to West Palm Beach in 1990, establishing a reputation for creating life-size figurative bronzes. His gallery showings and foundry have expanded into some of the nation’s finest art spaces, and his commissioned works are now exhibited in collections in Europe, North America, Latin America – and now, in Davie.

The bench and statue are located under a shade tree in the newly renovated courtyard in front of the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Those in attendance at the event included H. Wayne and Marti Huizenga; NSU President George Hanbury; Interim Dean of the Huizenga Business School J. Preston Jones, D.B.A.; members of NSU’s Board of Trustees; deans of many of NSU’s colleges; members of the Huizenga Business School Board of Governors; Entrepreneur Hall of Fame members; and NSU benefactors.

For more information on Robert St. Croix, visit: http://robertstcroix.com/contemporary_sculpture/.