From The Archives: Rare Photo Of Littlefield Fountain And Old Main (Slideshow)

By Tim Taliaferro in Blog on March 10, 2011 at 1:45 pm | 2 Comments

We found this rare photo of Littlefield Fountain in front of Old Main in our archives. In the pre-Tower and Six Pack days, the Main Mall looks little like it does today. The photo is undated, but it can be from only one of a few years.

Designed by Pompeo Coppini, the fountain was placed at the outskirt of campus by architect Paul Cret in 1933. Two years later, Old Main was razed in preparation for the construction of the Tower, which was completed in 1937. 

Littlefield Fountain was funded by its namesake, generous University of Texas donor Major George W. Littlefield, in honor of “the sons and daughters of the University of Texas” who gave their lives in World War I. 

While the Tower and the South Mall built up around it, the fountain itself hasn’t changed much in its 75-plus years on the Forty Acres. A few years back, it went under complete restoration to replace its mostly original parts. Steve Millwee, BAr ’72, and his wife, Rita, helped support the renovations with a sizable gift in honor of nine family members who have served in the military.

“As an architecture student, my professors emphasized the importance of preserving the great monument art from the past, the beauty of which might not be seen again,” Millwee told The Alcalde at the time.  “I wanted the Littlefield Fountain to be here for future generations of students just as it was for me.”

Check out some of the incredible shots of Littlefield Fountain that UT alumni and fans took below, courtesy of their respective Flickr pages. Then send us your Littlefield Fountain pics to fontenot@alumni.utexas.edu.