New statue of John Peters Humphrey unveiled in Hampton

The legacy of a New Brunswick human rights pioneer will live on through a new bronzed statue unveiled in Hampton.

John Peters Humphrey wrote the first draft of what later became the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“That document remains the most important document on human rights today,” said Georgie Day, chair of the Hampton John Peters Humphrey Foundation.

The foundation was formed in 2000 as a way to honour Humphrey’s legacy and educate about human rights in general.

Born in Hampton in 1905, Humphrey lost both of his parents to cancer as a child and had his arm amputated after an accident. As a result, Humphrey faced relentless bullying from his boarding school classmates.

“It is likely that the experiences of the first eleven years of his life helped to shape his worldview and his views about how individuals should be treated,” said his biography.

Hooper Studios and Darren Byers sculpted a wooden statue of Humphrey 14 years ago, but Day said it was starting to become weathered and show its age.

“The foundation was just finding itself in a difficult position to keep up with the maintenance and repairs that it required,” she said. “We felt the only way to save it was to have it bronzed.”

The site of the sculpture, located outside Hampton Town Hall, has interpretative panels that tell the story of Humphrey’s life.

In addition, there are two large pillars that have articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights carved into them, said Day.

“In the sculpture of Humphrey, he holds a notebook in his hand that you can imagine that he would have scribbled notes to remind him of things that he would want to put in the document,” she said. “It’s a very nice representative of him and his legacy.”

It cost $170,000 to bronze the statue and upgrade the site, which was supported by individuals, local businesses, private foundations, and all three levels of government.

Sunday’s unveiling coincided with the date of Humphrey’s birth in 1905.