New tigers on the prowl Yvonne Chiu Hays      A crane lifted the 7,000-pound sculptures into their new home guarding the entrance to Princeton Stadium. The stainless steel cats were a gift from William Weaver Jr. '34. Two new tigers are stalking the north entrance of Princeton Stadium. The 7,000-pound stainless steel tiger sculptures are gifts of investment banker William Weaver Jr., a 1934 Princeton graduate who donated the money to construct the nearby state-of-the-art track and field stadium named in his honor. The nine feet tall, 16 feet long tigers arrived Nov. 16 from North Carolina. Ruffin Hobbs, a 48-year-old metal sculptor who works in the Raleigh-Durham area, created the beasts, which look ready to pounce. Hobbs, who usually does not work with stainless steel, surprised himself with the amount of fluidity he was able to generate. "Stainless steel is so tough but it's clear that if you heat it right and shape it right, you can create a kind of movement with it," said Hobbs, who supervised the tigers' journey north and installed them in their new home. Using fine sanders, Hobbs created iridescent patterns on the flat steel, which suggest tiger stripes in the sunlight. For claws, Hobbs used valves. The bodies of the tigers are hollow and made of mesh, so that ivy eventually can grow in them. Hobbs works out of a historic grist mill, forging intricate original and reproduction gates and railings and creating contemporary garden sculptures, wall murals, furniture and mobiles. He met Weaver several months ago as he waited for a ferry to Nantucket Island off the Massachusetts coast. "I was just in the right place at the right time," Hobbs said. The two struck up a conversation, and Hobbs learned about Weaver's plans. When he was awarded the project, Hobbs had a little more than three months to complete it. He worked at "break-neck" speed, he said. The statues' arrival was celebrated in a brief ceremony before the Nov. 18 football game. They are part of a $2 million stadium landscaping project that will become known as Weaver Plaza and Walk and is to be completed by fall 2001. "Mr. Weaver continues to be extremely generous to Princeton, and one of the creative touches that he has provided for us is this pair of tiger statues," said Vice President for Development Van Williams. "The landscaping project is a work in progress. With any kind of luck, by football season next fall, we'll have a remarkably finished look to it."		December 4, 2000 Vol. 90, No. 11 previous   archives   next Contents Page 1 • Agencies deliver experience along with the morning paper • Memory formation clearer Page 2 • Clothing donations needed • By the numbers / United Way campaign • Spotlight / People / Obituary Page 3 • Ahmed studies differences, seeks unity • Research notes Page 4-5 • Calendar of events Page 6 • Board names six new full professors • Trustees promote, reappoint Page 7 • New tigers on the prowl Page 8 • Nassau notes The Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year, except during University breaks and exam weeks, by the Office of Communications, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Permission is given to adapt, reprint or excerpt material from the Bulletin for use in other media. Deadline. In general, the copy deadline for each issue is the Friday 10 days in advance of the Monday cover date. The deadline for the Bulletin that covers Jan. 8-28 is Friday, Dec. 29. A complete publication schedule is available at deadlines or by calling (609) 258-3601. Subscriptions. The Bulletin is distributed free to faculty, staff and students. Others may subscribe to the Bulletin for $24 for the academic year (half price for current Princeton parents and people over 65). Send a check to Office of Communications, Stanhope Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Editor: Ruth Stevens Staff writer: Yvonne Chiu Hays Calendar editor: Carolyn Geller Contributing writers: Marilyn Marks, Caroline Moseley, Steven Schultz Photographer: Denise Applewhite Design: Mahlon Lovett, Laurel Masten Cantor Web edition: Mahlon Lovett
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