A copper statue of a young novelist and essayist F. Scott Fitzgerald typically greets visitors to 25 N. Dale St. in St. Paul.
F. Scott Fitzgerald statue stolen from outside former St. Paul Academy
The statue was swiped sometime last week, police said.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 11, 2025 at 8:49PM
Now it’s missing.
Sometime between Monday and Friday of last week, somebody swiped the statue from outside the former St. Paul Academy, where Fitzgerald attended classes from 1908 to 1911. As a student, he published some of his first short stories and plays in the school magazine.
The school has since moved. The Dale Street building is now called the Academy Professional Building and is home to a law firm.
The statue of the St. Paul native and author of “The Great Gatsby,” in a jacket with books on his lap, is believed to have been “cut free” and taken away, according to St. Paul police.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Sgt. Toy Vixayvong of with the St. Paul Police Department. “We are guessing it was cut with a torch. It’s not something you can just lift up” and cart away, he added.
Though the 2006 statue by Aaron Dysart does not live at St. Paul Academy’s current campuses on Randolph and Goodrich avenues, “we were distressed to hear of its disappearance,” said Ami Berger, the private school’s director of communications. “F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most revered figures in the long history of SPA, and we are hoping for the statue’s return to its proper place.”
No arrests have been made. It was not clear how many suspects may have been involved. Nor was it clear if the theft was related to other thefts of copper wire affecting streetlights and phone service in the city.
Anybody with information or who recalls seeing suspicious activity is asked to call 651-291-1111.
The call for the public’s help comes as the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library will host a performance and talk on “The Great Gatsby” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the George Latimer Central Library, 90 W. 4th St. in St. Paul.
The event is part of a series of programs celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fitzgerald’s most acclaimed novel.
The statue was swiped sometime last week, police said.
