A nationwide student art contest is inviting children and teens to celebrate America’s 250th birthday by creating original artwork inspired by historical figures selected for the proposed National Garden of American Heroes.
The “American Heroes Student Art Contest,” sponsored by the nonpartisan organization Freedom 250 and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is open to students in grades 3 through 12 in all 50 states and six U.S. territories. Submissions opened Feb. 14 and will close May 1, according to the contest’s press release.
The contest encourages students to “celebrate America’s 250th Birthday by creating original two-dimensional artworks, inspired by their favorite historical American hero,” chosen from a list of 250 notable Americans who are to be honored in statues in the garden.
The list spans statesmen, civil rights leaders, athletes, scientists, artists, military figures, and faith leaders. Among them are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Sitting Bull, Clara Barton, Kobe Bryant, and Neil Armstrong, according to the contest’s published biographies….
Joshua Mercer, vice president of advocacy for CatholicVote, said the organization is encouraging Catholic students to take part.
From Zeale.co
Catholics who will be in the Garden include Saints Elizabeth Ann Seaton, Junipero Serra, Kateri Tekakwitha, Katharine Drexel, John Neumann as well as Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Father Augustus Tolton and Dorothy Day. Charles Carroll and Nellie Gray may also be included.
The complete list is at https://freedom250.org/assets/files/American%20Heroes%20Biographies%20FINAL.pdf. I had hoped Charlie Kirk’s name would appear, but alas, like Ed Feser, he is too controversial.
Also (perhaps) like Nellie Gray, too new. As with “saint”, we need to wait a bit before applying the label “hero”. If we had, we might have thought differently of e.g. JFK.
Well– FDR was a hero who led us out of the Depression and through WWII– and was also a womanizer and adulterer. Actually, JFK was inspiring to many, in his charismatic leadership, his inspirational rhetoric in his speeches, “Ask not what your country can do for you…” etc. He won a Purple Heart for heroic bravery, saving his crew in the PT-109 incident in WWII, he championed the NASA Space Program– and led America bravely and calmly, during the scary Oct.1962 Cuban Missiie Crisis.The current scary military action in Iran reminded me of the Cuban Missile Crisis– the potential threat of Iran with nuclear weapons… oh, my God!
JFK was a womanizer and an adulterer. Unfortunately, all through history, we have had some heroes who were political leaders, who were also womanizers and adulterers. King David was a great Jewish leader and hero — and an ancestor of Christ. He was also a womanizer and adulterer– and a murderer, too — but he repented of his sins. It is shockingly true that many of our Founding Fathers– who were great heroes– and even prominent Catholic clerics, including America’s first Catholic bishop, Bishop John Carroll, a Jesuit who established Georgetown University– were slave owners. But they didn’t believe in slavery, and wished to abolish it.
Reply to Daniel Gallup: Thanks for posting the list to 250 Notable Americans. I am glad Audie Murphy made the list. He was the most decorated soldier in the Second World War and my favorite Western Actor.
What do all of you think of the heroism of slain Civil Rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? He, too, was a notoriously adulterous womanizer. I could never understand that, as he was a prominent Baptist minister., and national Civil Rights leader, whom his people needed to rely on.
Happy to see Ven. Fulton J. Sheen included among “Religious Figures.”
All wonderful choices for the National Garden of American Heroes. Charlie Kirk would have made an excellent modern choice. However, I like the choice of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Saint Katherine Drexel whose Feast Day is Tuesday March 3, 2026.. Saint Katherine was the daughter of a millionaire banker who had their own railway car. She gave all that up to become a missionary who was interested in the plight of Native Americans. Now that’s a wonderful life worth living as the Venerable Fulton Sheen used to call his Emmy Award winning show. Saint Katherine Drexel pray for us.
Further to my post: Saint Katherine Drexel’s crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans, the first university in the United States for Afro Americans. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Read more about her religious order the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at: http://www.Katherinedrexel.org
Reply to Restrainer: Correction: Saint Katharine Drexel religious order Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament: http://www.katharinedrexel.org.
Xavier University (Secondary 1915, Normal 1917, University 1925) was not the first black college or even the 100th. It was the first (and only) “Catholic” university for blacks.
Cheyney (1837), the first black university, was established as a training institute 80 years earlier, and three higher education universities founded before the Civil War. In the four decades after the Civil War over 100 black colleges and universities were founded, including up to 19 medical schools, before Xavier was even dreamt of.
And, today the Latin Church commemorates Saint Katharine Drexel. As noted by Zeale:
Born into wealth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Saint Katharine Drexel gave it all away for Christ. After she asked Pope Leo XIII to send missionaries to Native Americans, he challenged her to become a missionary herself. She went on to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, opening dozens of schools and missions for Native and African Americans despite violent opposition. The second American-born saint, she is the patron of racial justice and philanthropists.
Saint Katharine, pray for us.
Now I’m curious. I understand someone putting a thumbs down on comments. Yet, all I noted was it was Saint Katharine Drexel’s feast day. So, downer, would you mind explaining why? Do you have an issue with Saint Katharine? Usually, canonized Saints aren’t controversial for Catholics. (Are you a Catholic?) Thanks.
There is a person here who despises any kind of orthodox views, hence the down arrows. Even praising Jesus will earn you a downward thumb if your name that he doesn’t like is connected to it.
I will receive a thumbs-down for just pointing it out.
I have my own theories as to the Thumbs Down Voter.
This is to answer Reply to Tom Byrne above:
So having weighed both sides of JFK from evidence, you conclude he deserves the name hero. Fine, but we were surely entitled to see all that evidence (and not have the bad stuff hidden by the press and his friends) before we made up our own minds. That was my point. I personally have no doubts about Nellie Gray or Charlie Kirk. I say ON PRINCIPLE wait a little until the immediate fervor dies down and we can take a collective “walk around” their lives. The Church waits for saints and civil society needs to wait for heroes.
I never “concluded” anything about JFK, and do not personally consider him to be a “hero.” I only gave some possible reasons as to why he was listed in the National Gatden of American Heroes. I do not believe that waiting for time to pass is always going to help to determine who is– and who is not– a true hero. Right after JFK’s death, I read a book written by his longtime secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, which included scandalous details about his sex affairs, right in his office– she even helped arrange some of it! — what a horrible thing, to be an accomplice to filthy sins of an elected official! Why didn”t she notify authorities– and quit her job? A few years later, Jackie Kennedy got her to remove this material from her book. JFK also had cruelly manipulated and seduced a young,19-year-old summer White House intern, “Mimi,” who became a mistress– he was an evil sex predator! And his filthy, public misbehavior with actress Marilyn Monroe– made me sick! JFK’s misuse of political office, for sex– and being a filthy, manipulative sex predator on young American college interns, like “Mimi”– should have resulted in his termination from public office– and a prison sentence.
Right before JFK’s death, there was a terrible sex scandal in England, in which a young model and showgirl, Christine Keeler, was a mistress to the Secretsry of War, John Profumo– who was married. She also was a mistress to a Soviet intelligence officer based in London. This created a national security crisis in Britain in 1963, and caused the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, leader of the Conservative Party. It was then revealed that many of Britain’s “elite” government and society figures were also involved in filthy sex scandals. Britain’s image was greatly tainted and defiled. But honestly– lots of Britain’s big heroes were also immoral, sadly– even in the story of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. Anyway– in 1963, a relative of mine in SF bought a new car, and named it “Christine”– and made everyone laugh.
Not sure about how many of our heroes who will be in the Natioval Garden of American Heroes— were outstanding in moral character– besides our American Catholic saints. The British have over 3300 national heroes buried in their Westminster Abbey. Not all of their heroes were of outstanding moral character, either. Maybe only a small handful in each generation were of outstanding moral character.
Many great men struggle with the sin of pride– and much more! In the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, at Camelot, we see noble and brave knights who fall from grace– like Sir Lancelot, who fell in love with King Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere, and committed adultery– thus causing a crack in the Round Table, and Sir Lacelot’s loss in finding the Holy Grail– which he was permitted to see, in a dream. An empty chair is always set at the Round Table, for the purest knight, destined to find the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is guarded at the castle of the wounded Fisher King, whose land is laid waste– physically, spiritually, and morally– the “Waste Land” — due to his injury of impotence and corruption. His groin and legs are so injured that he cannot walk or ride a horse. He spends his days fishing in a boat, awaiting a pure and holy knight to heal him, and bring healing and flourishing to his kingdom. The knight who will bring healing has to ask a special question: “Whom does the Holy Grail serve?” Only the sinless Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot’s son, is permitted to find the Holy Grail, behold its Divine Mysteries in a holy vision– and then he dies, in a Mystical Union with Christ.
JFK was not an “American hero,” nor are King Charles III and his wicked brother, Andrew, “British heroes.” What a big horse-laugh! Two filthy, good-for-nothing fools! Who cost UK taxpayers way too much! Maybe the British Parliament will someday dissolve the monarchy—a great idea!
What I wrote about heroes, really has nothing to do with the post of Tom Byrne. I just suddenly realized– who, honestly, ought to be in our American Garden of Heroes? Not many will match our Catholic– or Christian– definition of a true hero. But most of them made great contributions to our country– and to American culture. I think that is really what it is about. I think I had the wrong idea. Under “Religious Figures,” they ought to consider adding many of our fine American Catholic Saints, Blesseds, Venerables, and Servants of God– many of them made great contributions to our country, too, and are a part of our history.
When the Muslims take over England they will dissolve the monarchy.
To the poster called “monarchy”: well considering the so-called Prophet Mohammed was a pedophile, having consummated his “marriage” to Aisha when she was nine or ten, that will not be an improvement.