GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — Thursday morning, Hancock Whitney unveiled a life-size bronze sculpture of former Gulfport mayor George A. Schloegel downtown.
Hancock Whitney says the sculpture honors the life of the longtime banking and community leader Schloegel, “creating a permanent tribute to one of the Gulf Coast’s most influential civic and business leaders.”
Hancock Whitney says the sculpture honors the life of the longtime banking and community leader Schloegel, “creating a permanent tribute to one of the Gulf Coast’s most influential civic and business leaders.”(MJeff Harrison | Hancock Whitney)
The sculpture is located at the west entrance of the company’s headquarters at Hancock Whitney Plaza, and it depicts Schloegel seated and facing the 15-story corporate tower he helped design and build in the late 1970s and where he spent more than half of his 50-year banking career.
“George Schloegel was a treasured colleague, mentor, teacher, counselor, and friend to countless members of our Hancock Whitney family and bankers and community leaders across the Coast, around the state, and throughout the country. George was dear to so many of us, and we miss him,” said Hancock Whitney President and CEO John M. Hairston. “This bronze likeness provides a fitting testament to his leadership and remains a permanent reminder of the good he did, the lessons he taught, and the difference a person can make through a life of service.”
Hancock Whitney said Schloegel embodied an American success story built on hard work, humility and dedication.
“Starting at the bank as a 16-year-old mailroom runner earning one dollar an hour, he actively managed every facet of bank operations before rising to the company’s highest executive positions as Chairman and CEO,” a press release read. “Throughout his career, he also led countless economic development initiatives across the region. After his retirement, he served as mayor of his beloved native city, Gulfport, and remained a driving force in helping the bank continue to grow across the Gulf South.”
Schloegel passed away peacefully and unexpectedly on Oct. 6, 2023.
In 2024, as Hancock Whitney celebrated the 125th anniversary of its 1899 bank charter, the bank rededicated Hancock Whitney Plaza park as the George A. Schloegel Lighthouse Memorial Park, with a bronze monument sharing the lifelong Gulfport resident’s remarkable story.
“One of the largest corporately owned green spaces in the state and a community gathering area in the heart of downtown Gulfport, Schloegel Park incorporates extensive symbolism related to Hurricane Katrina and Gulf Coast resiliency,” the press release read. “Schloegel played a pivotal role in Hancock Whitney’s recovery after Hurricane Katrina, including directing the restoration of the heavily damaged headquarters building, envisioning the blueprint for the park, and helping to lead broader rebuilding efforts supporting business, community, and economic recovery across South Mississippi.”
“As we sit quietly on that bench with George, perhaps the spirit of his wise counsel can further inspire and guide us as we travel our own life journeys,” added Hairston.
Sculptor Matt Glenn with Big Statues created the Schloegel sculpture. Bonnie Blackledge, principal with Transmedia Creative Services, Inc., in Gulfport, designed and directed production of the sculpture.
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