By Christi Mays
To Ellie King, her grandfather, Bruce Greene (“Boots” as she affectionately calls him), has always been the cowboy-hat-wearing artist who lived next door to her. The freshman exercise physiology major grew up hanging out in his studio in Clifton, where her childhood watercolors still adorn the walls, and spent countless hours lifting weights with him as he coached her through her high school competitions.
Ellie grew up watching him use his hands to mold masterpieces of clay that were cast into larger-than-life bronze sculptures that are displayed nationwide. But she never imagined she would discover one of his creations on the very campus she planned to call home.
Greene designed and sculpted UMHB’s bronze Crusader Statue. The life-and-a-quarter-size warrior, complete with traditional armor, an aloft sword and a dramatic cape, has stood in front of the Frank & Sue Mayborn Campus Center since 2005, just one year before Ellie was born.
Despite growing up surrounded by her grandfather’s artwork, and even posing for some of it, Ellie had no idea that one of his masterpieces lived on UMHB’s campus.
“In 2023, I came to the Homecoming football game and was walking back to the parking lot past Mayborn,” she said. She paused by the tall bronze figure, instantly recognizing his work.
“The pattern of the statue looked familiar, so I looked at the plaque and texted my grandma and grandpa and said, ‘Look what I found!’ And, of course, took a picture next to it.”
At that point in high school, Ellie already had her heart set on attending UMHB, but stumbling upon the statue felt like more than a coincidence.
