From the Dedication Program for Brookens Library, May 19, 1976.

The Spaulding Memorial Fountain is a stylized adaptation of the precipitator which Charles Herbert Spaulding incorporated in his portable water purification unit. The sculpture is approximately eight feet in diameter and four feet high and made of polished stainless steel. It sprays a controlled mist.

The form of the fountain reflects the basic truncated inverted cone of the precipitator, in which water is brought in at the bottom, flows upward through aggregates and chemicals, and emerges at the top sweet and pure. The fountain expresses this upward flow.

Presented by Mr. Spaulding’s wife Kathleen and his children, the fountain was designed by Scopia, Inc., of Chesterfield, Missouri. Scopia has done creative projects in 40 states, including one in conjunction with the late Erio Saarinen who designed the St. Louis Arch.

This model of Mr. Spaulding’s invention is an effective tribute to a man whose public spirit is reflected in his attitude about his creative genius. When Springfield adopted his patented water treatment basins for the city in 1955, Mr. Spaulding waived all royalties due him. He regarded himself as a scientist with a purpose, and that purpose was not personal gain. It is completely fitting that Sangamon State University, designated as the public affairs university for Illinois, be the site of this fountain erected in memory of such a dedicated public servant.