The late Wyoming State Senator Hank Coe is being honored with a statue with an interesting history
The ceremony and dedication, at the Yellowstone Regional Airport, was attended by many former and current politicians, including Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, Wyoming Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, former Wyoming Senator Al Simpson, and Cody Mayor Matt Hall. General Shippen was in attendance who created the sculpture of Hank Coe.
The Master of Ceremonies was led by his son Senator Coe’s son, H.R. Coe.
State Senator Hank Coe represented the 18th district from 1989 to 2020. He was passionate about education, aviation, and chaired of the Cody Medical Foundation. He was Park County Commissioner from 1978-1986. As a State Senator, he the Chairman for senate education and Air Transportation Liaison Committee. He was instrumental in developing the Hathaway Scholarship, which has benefited many students in Wyoming in receiving financial aid to attend college.
All speakers reflected on moments they had with State Senator Hank Coe, talking about the impact he made on Wyoming and specifically Park County. They added how he was a mentor to many across Wyoming and reminisced about the time they spent together.
A bronze statue of Coe was unveiled at the entrance of YRA. The life-size statue was completed in one year by Gerald Shippen. He finished the sculpture before the fire broke out at the Caleco Foundry in Cody in late May. After the fire, the statue was sandblasted and repainted. Senator Lummis remarked that angels were sent down to protect it.
Loud applause followed after H.R. Coe revealed the artwork by removing the cloth covering the bronze statue.
CORRECTION: The Hank Coe statue took over a year to complete by local artist Gerald Shippen. After a fire in late May broke out in the studio where the statue was located, it had to be sandblasted and repainted in time for the unveiling on June 7th.
