A bronze Joe Vandal statue, located outside of the ICCU Arena and Kibbie Dome, was unveiled in the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 8.
“As we stand here today to unveil the Joe Vandal monument, we celebrate the role that ASUI and all the students, past and present, have had in shaping this campus,” said Seyi Arogundade, ASUI president, in a speech at the unveiling ceremony.
Construction on the dome began in 1969 after a substantial portion of the former Neale Stadium burned down. The statue is a monument to the efforts of University of Idaho students, who paid a $37 fee each semester ($291.66 with 2025 inflation) until the full price of the construction project had been paid for. These fees were charged to UI students for between 10 to 15 years according to UI alum Tom La Pointe.
For almost 50 years, the dome was known as the Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center in memory of the student body and a significant donation made by a UI alum William H. Kibbie. In 2023, the stadium was renamed the P1FCU Kibbie Dome after Potlatch No. 1 Financial Credit Union bought the naming rights for $5 million.
“We’re proud that this stadium is not just a football venue – it’s a world-class indoor track and field stadium. It hosts our Vandal soccer games, a variety of intermural sports, our commencement ceremonies and many other events throughout the year,” Green said in his speech.
The Joe Vandal monument was created by Gareth Curtiss, a sculptor from Montana. In February, he live sculpted a scale model of the statue in the ISUB.
“It took me about 100 days to create this statue, and here it is,” Curtiss said in an interview with The Argonaut. “I’ve done over sixty monuments around the United States… I know this statue and any other will be here long after I’m gone, and that gives me a special feeling in my heart… I know people here will love it. It has great meaning and it’s of the spirit of this place. It’s been an honor to do it.” of the spirit of this place. It’s been an honor to do it.”
The statue weighs about 2,000 pounds and is made of bronze. Its unveiling ceremony was part of Parents’ Weekend, taking place immediately before the Vandal football game against University of California, Davis.
The initial estimated cost was around $5 million, but the total construction including the roof was around $7.8 million. In the end, student fees paid for most of the dome. While substantial, Kibbie’s donation was only $300,000. The Argonaut previously reported on controversy surrounding the dome’s name change.
“To some of us, that feels like the great injustice that now, 50 years later, Kibbie’s name stays on the building and ASUI’s name goes off,” said an alumnus from the ‘70s who asked not to be identified. “Even though the ASUI contribution was slow and steady over the years.”
Students at the time heavily protested the fees. Former ASUI President pro tempore wrote in a comment on the previous Argonaut article that students would write “paid under protest” on their checks, especially following the added roof fees.
“The idea that a statue of any kind would be adequate enough to somehow denote the contributions of students who for 10-15 years paid student fees is something I heartily disagree with,” La Pointe said. “The building itself was our monument.”
Cal Torres can be reached at [email protected].