New Haycock Hall Named for 'One of a Kind' OWU Professor

October 1, 2001

DELAWARE, OHIO -- As a former student of Ebb Haycock, emeritus fine arts professor, OWU alumna Nancy LaPorte Meek '59, remembers a "not-so strict" professor who was "totally wrapped up in his art and in ours." Majoring in fine arts, she knew Lyon Art Hall well, and the limited space in the basement of that building, where Haycock and his students learned together and created their art. "He might have been the first to teach sculpture at OWU," says Meek, although Haycock also taught commercial art, and printmaking. "But 3D art was his 'baby' all along," she explains, noting the special privilege it was for her to toast Haycock and the new Haycock Hall named for him, at a dinner held in his honor during the summer.

The building on Hayes Street, which will be formally dedicated in October, brings all components of the 3D arts together under one roof. That includes metals, wood, ceramics, a fabrication studio and three-dimensional design. The renovation features an annex to the former 2,400-square-foot structure, which now includes an additional 9,600 square feet, with a hallway connecting the two buildings.

Haycock, who retired from Ohio Wesleyan in 1985 after an illustrious 35-year career, was instrumental in developing and implementing many improvements in the fine arts program. He was a driving force behind creating OWU's foundry and developing the cast metal program. "Ebb, in fact, took a sabbatical in the 70's and went to Italy, where he learned first hand how to build a foundry," says Meek. Haycock's daughter and OWU alumna Lorry Haycock Luikart '73, remembers his ingenuity and the time when her father obtained a piece of glass from a junkyard to create a screen behind which he and his students would weld materials. "I think the 3D department today is in existence because of what dad created out of nothing," says Luikart, tributing Meek for spearheading efforts to recognize Haycock in such a touching way. "This [honor] is well deserved, and the family is supportive and thrilled that OWU has acknowledged his work."

Haycock's passion for sculpture over the years is exemplified in such pieces on campus as his largest bronze cast, Oracle, on the JAYwalk, and busts of Butler A. Jones in Elliott Hall and Branch Rickey '04, in Branch Rickey Field House.

"Ebb Haycock has inspired over three decades of fine arts students during his distinguished career at Ohio Wesleyan," says Meek. "Haycock Hall, along with the newly renovated Edgar Hall, positions the fine arts department at the top of the list in the region."