Object Description
This picture shows a man standing at a podium on a stage in front of the statue. There is a semicircle of nine people sitting in chairs behind him. The men are wearing suits and the women are swearing skirt with jackets. Behind them is the statue, covered in a cloth and sitting on a plinth surround by small plants. There is a microphone on either side of the podium and the man appears to be speaking to an audience. On the front of the podium is the seal of the University of Illinois. In the background of the photo are trees, buildings, and cars on the street. On the back of the photograph is a caption identifying the people in the picture: "L. to R.: Mr. Leon Marinakos, Mrs. Spyridon Dokianos, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Fasseas, Mr. Park Livingston (at the microphone), Vice Chancellor A. M. Schmidt, Mr. William D. Forsyth, Jr., President Stanley O. Ikenberry (partial view), Chancellor Joseph S. Begando, Vice Chancellor Emeritus, Donald J. Caseley".
Origin
Hippocrates was a Greek physician born in 460 BC on the island of Cos. Hippocrates created the field of medicine as it is known today, establishing it as its own profession. Hippocrates made a number of important contributions to the field of medicine, many of which are still relevant. He is known as the Father of Western Medicine. He is believed to have written the Hippocratic Oath, which outlines the ethical standards that physicians are bound to uphold, and which is still in use today. The sculpture was created by Costos Georgakas in Greece in 1972. It was given to the University of Illinois by Andrew Fasseas, a prominent member of the Greek-American community, and the Hippocrates Monument fund and was unveiled in 1980. Fasseas was born in Sparta and immigrated to Chicago at the age of 12. As an adult, Fasseas worked for the state government, as well as owning a baking company, a newspaper, and a bank. He also provided money and supplies to help improve his native region of Greece and to aid Greek disaster victims. He was honored by the Greek government in 1969 and died in 1988. He was survived by his wife, Angelyn, and his two sons, Milton and Peter. Leon Marinakos was another prominent member of the Greek-American community in Chicago. Marinakos was a United States Army veteran and worked as an electrical engineer. He was devoutly Greek Orthodox and a patron of various Greek cultural endeavors, including with the Art Institute of Chicago, the United Hellenic American Congress, and the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center (now the National Hellenic Museum). He was honored by both the Greek Orthodox church and the Greek government and served as president of the Hellenic Professional Society of Illinois. Marinakos died in July 2014. Mrs. Spyridon Dokianos was the wife of Spyridon Dokianos, a member of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consul General of Chicago. Park Livingston was an important University of Illinois booster. Born in 1906 to a poor South Dakota family, Livingston attended the University of Illinois and John Marshall Law School. As a U of I alumnus, Livingston became assistant dean of men for the university in 1930 and later served 24 years on the university Board of Trustees, including 10 years as board president. After his time on the board, Livingston served as the university's lobbyist and counsel general. He died in 1999.
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Citation
Photograph, June 6, 1980, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/4848. Accessed 06/01/23.