The Plan
The base would be an integral part of the setting for the Fighting Stallions.
In a letter dated October 12, 1951, President Flowers informed Archer Huntington that the statue arrived in perfect condition and that the College called on an expert to design the base and help determine the placement on campus.
It so happens that when we discovered the size of the statue and that it would require considerable space, we felt that we should draw in an expert as a counselor. We asked Mr. [James Buchanan "Buck"] Winn, who is very well known in this part of the country as an artist, to come in and discuss the matter with us.
--Letter from President John G. Flowers to Archer M. Huntington, October 12, 1951 [transcription]
While Buck Winn worked on a design proposal, President Flowers brought together "twenty leading citizens of the town" to discuss the location of the statue so that it could be enjoyed by the entire community. One of the first options considered was to place the statue at the center of the campus at the intersection of Roanoke and Austin [now LBJ Drive]– "two very busy streets" – so that statue would be clearly visible in such a prominent place. However, Flowers soon reconsidered this location as members of the community thought that location would be a hazard.
The proposed intersection of Roanoke and Austin (which was later renamed LBJ Drive) would be close to the marquee that's between Flowers Hall and the Paws-n-Go Market. LBJ Drive was a city street that ran through campus until July 31, 1976 when the city allowed it to be closed to traffic at the campus.
The next step of the plan was to raise funds to bring Buck Winn's proposed plan to fruition.