Alison Brown Caswell, Benjamin Kalb, and Athletic Director Rob Mullens pose for a picture with the Duck to their left . . . and right behind them! / Rob Moseley, Oregon Athletics
UO alumni bring new Duck statue to Autzen Stadium
Alison Brown Caswell’s first piece of work for the University of Oregon was unveiled on January 23, 2016. Many gathered at Mathew Knight Arena to admire her work, including donor Tom Clarey, who pronounced January 23 as “Duck Day.”
If you’ve attended a Ducks basketball game, participated in a campus tour, or strolled along Franklin Boulevard in recent years, then you know about the renowned Duck statue. Standing in front of Matthew Knight Arena, this eight-foot Duck greets people from all around the world who flock to Eugene.
Today, the bronze Duck in front of Matthew Knight Arena is joined by another on campus, The Duck and Me statue welcoming fans to Autzen Stadium. As of September 2023, Ducks can take a rest from the walk to Autzen and sit next to our beloved mascot. Although it’s been less than five months since the statue’s debut, it’s already become a popular landmark for students, parents, alumni, and Ducks fans.
What makes The Duck and Me statue even more special is the fact that it came to life because of UO alumni. Sculptor Alison Brown Caswell, BA ’11 (Spanish), and donors Benjamin Kalb, BS ’69 (journalism), Neil Everett, BS ’84 (journalism), and Tom Clarey, BS ’72 (political science), collaborated to make this dream possible.
It was Kalb who spearheaded the idea, presenting it to the co-donors and UO Athletic Department, who immediately jumped on board. He first came up with the idea when he saw a statue of broadcaster Chick Hearn sitting on a bench outside of Crypto.com arena, and thought to himself, “Why can’t we do this with the Duck?”
“I’m very happy at the response it’s received. I see people line up to sit on the bench and have their photo taken next to the Duck before the game,” said Kalb. "That was the whole purpose of The Duck and Me. It’s a great photo op for students, alumni, fans, moms and dads, kids, and grandparents. It’s a great remembrance of your days at the University of Oregon.”
If anyone could bring the iconic Duck to life (again), Kalb and UO Athletics knew it would be Brown Caswell. She attended the University of Oregon to pursue a degree in Spanish but has long had a passion for art and sculpting. During her busy schedule as a student, she found herself learning how to sculpt in her dorm room in the Learning Living Center, where she worked as a resident assistant.
Alison Brown Caswell sits next to her second masterpiece in front of Autzen Stadium. / Rob Moseley, Oregon Athletics
“It was a learning curve,” she said in a 2016 interview with the UO Alumni Association. “I’d always said I’d just pick up the clay and go, and I was in for a surprise in how much I didn’t know.” On top of this, Brown was handling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and preparing to graduate.
In 2013, it was Clarey who reached out and commissioned the Duck statue in front of Matthew Knight Arena. Brown Caswell then began the strenuous process of designing the Duck, which needed to fit Disney’s and the University of Oregon’s criteria.
“It took me a while to get both the Disney contact and the Oregon folks happy with the design,” she said. “They were so specific, and it had to look exactly like what they wanted it to or else it wasn’t going to move forward. I’ve been able to build on that, and my artwork has improved quite a bit because of them, and I really appreciate the opportunity to work with them.”
Today, Brown Caswell’s business, Campus Sculptures, has expanded successfully and is officially licensed to represent four different universities. She has also learned to sculpt different animals which have been showcased in various galleries. The Duck in Me statue is just one of her most recent works, unveiled about seven years after her original Duck statue in front of Matthew Knight Arena. If the mascot wasn’t made from copper, one might mistake it for the real thing.
Ben Kalb speaks to a small crowd during The Duck and Me unveiling ceremony on September 1 ahead of Oregon Football’s first home game of the season against Portland State. / Rob Moseley, Oregon Athletics
Kalb, Everett, and Clarey are thrilled with the final product. “I was in constant communication with Alison, and she kept me updated as the statue was developing,” shared Kalb. “It was a very positive experience and Alison did a fabulous job. She really is a great artist.”
For Kalb, The Duck and Me statue felt like the perfect way to give back to the alma mater he loves. He’s helped to create and fund multiple programs on campus over the years and is proud of this latest endeavor.
“It’s a metaphoric symbol of your involvement with the University of Oregon; it’s a symbol of your emotional attachment to the University of Oregon. As Mat Kearney’s song says, ‘I’m coming home to a place that I remember.’”
—By Olivia Arciniega, class of 2026 (business administration), UO Alumni Association student writer