PeeDee the Pirate, ECU, Greenville
The statue of the East Carolina University mascot, PeeDee the Pirate, stands 13 feet tall and is constructed from three tons of cast bronze atop a concrete base. The pirate is dressed in typical swashbuckler attire, with a large tricorn hat, tall cuffed boots, and a pistol in his belt. He is depicted ready for action, with his right foot resting atop a mound of cannon balls and his right hand raised high brandishing his sword. A small cannon is placed on his right. The sculpture sits on a large semi-circular base that holds a bronze plaque with the inscription.
Images:
Installation in 1999
(courtesy of Chris Short, ECU Class of 2000)
|
Plaque
THE ECU PIRATE / A GIFT TO / EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY / FROM / IRWIN BELK. / SCULPTED BY / JODI HOLLNAGEL-JUBRAN / AND HANNA JUBRAN / DEDICATED / OCTOBER 23, 1999
East Carolina University
October 23, 1999
35.596560 , -77.366650 View in Geobrowse
"Pee Dee the Pirate - East Carolina University," Waymarking.com, (accessed February 18, 2012) Link
"The Mascot," East Carolina Traditions, (accessed January 10, 2019) Link
Gardiner, Emily. "Pee Dee knocked down," The East Carolinian, November 26, 2013, (accessed January 22, 2014) Link
Jakubowski, Glenda. “ECU Sculpture: Bronze Pirate Being Prepared for its Oct. 23 Homecoming Dedication,” The Daily Reflector (Greenville, NC), October 10, 1999.
Yes
Bronze, concrete
Private donation by Irwin Belk and guidance given by the East Carolina University Educational Foundation, Inc. (also known as the "Pirate Club")
The monument was dedicated and unveiled on October 23, 1999 as part of East Carolina University's homecoming festivities.
The name “PeeDee” comes from North Carolina’s long history with pirates. The Pee Dee River, running along the border between North Carolina and South Carolina, was a popular encampment for the pirates of the area. The mascot's appearance is based on the most well-known 18th century pirate of the region, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. The statue was a gift from Belk Department Store magnate Irwin Belk, a statewide supporter of college athletics. According to the ECU Pirates website, the name for the mascot came from a naming contest in the local Pitt County schools.
Thes sculptors for this monument are Jodi Hollnagel-Jurbran and her Palestinian-born husband Hanna. They are significant
contributors to the artistic and historical commemorative landscape of North Carolina. Over 30
of their works dot the landscape to include Time Capsule Sculpture and Benches in Kinston, Nooherooka Monument in Snow Hill, Monument to a Century of Flight in Kitty Hawk, and Western North Carolina Veterans Memorial in Asheville. They are both employed by the School of Art and
Design at East Carolina University
According to the website of the ECU Pirates, in 1985 ECU's chancellor shortened the mascot's name to simply "The Pirate" after complaints from the student body that they had no input in selecting the name.
The monument is located in a brick courtyard outside the west end of the ECU stadium between the Murphy Center to the north and the Scales Field House to the south.
The monument sits in a brick courtyard. A small lawn area and plantings are adjacent to the courtyard.