'It's all in God's hands'

William Snapp has written to governors and senators. He has reached out to nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C. He spreads his message to anyone he thinks can help -- all in hopes that his dream will come true.\nSnapp, an 82-year-old sculptor, has much more time on his hands now -- he recently retired from his job as a grocery store baker -- to devote toward achieving his dream, which represents worldwide peace and love.\nHe has devoted the last 40 years of his life to placing copies of his statue titled "SOUL" -- which stands for the Search of Universal Life -- in both Washington, D.C., and Russia, in hopes of improving relations between the United States and Russia. \nThe original sculpture currently stands in the Indiana Memorial Union courtyard.\n"SOUL" is a 4-foot-6-inch bronze statue of a man standing on top of the world with one foot in the United States, and one in Russia.The man's right arm is reaching up into the sky. When Snapp thought of the idea for the statue in 1963, both of these countries were working to send humans to outer space and to develop nuclear weapons. He was inspired to create a statue standing for peace.\nSnapp, who donated "SOUL" to IU in 1989 and dedicated it to his parents, was upset, he says, when his prized statue was stolen from the IMU courtyard area in April 2002, the night of the IU men's basketball team's Final Four loss to Maryland. But the statue was found last February in the woods in Cascades Park, located on Bloomington's northside. \n"I missed it so much," Snapp said, admiring the statue during a recent visit to IU. "I had been pretty sad and pretty concerned. I felt such a healing (when it was returned)."\nThe statue was placed back into the courtyard this summer, but was put in a different area as part of the courtyard's redesign. Although Snapp's statue used to be in the center of the courtyard, and is now placed on the west side, the new design is yet another encouraging factor for him. \n"It's much more formal," he said. "I think it's wonderful."\nIMU associate director Thom Simmons said "SOUL is integral to the courtyard.\n"We're pleased with it," he said. "It looks like it belongs there. It's still a focal point of the garden." \nSnapp, a Lebanon, Ind., resident, has written letters to Indiana Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar to ask for support and ideas for a place in Washington, D.C., where he might be able to place "SOUL."\nSnapp also needs financial support -- constructing the two new statues and transporting one of them overseas would be costly.\nSnapp recently heard back from Lugar, who provided him with the names of two organizations -- the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Arms Control Assocation -- that might be able to help him reach his goal. Snapp wrote letters to both organizations and is hopeful CEIP, a nonprofit group that works to improve relations between Russia and the United States, can help him.\n"It seems to me like the statue is speaking to the same message that they're speaking," he said. \nAlthough Snapp has not yet had notable success with his life's mission, he has never become frustrated.\n"I think when you have a vision of something for that long of a time, it becomes a part of your being," he said.\nSnapp is still awaiting a reply from both organizations. He will continue to make contacts with as many groups as possible and he believes his dream will eventually come true.\n"It's in God's hands," he said.\n-- Contact general assignments editor Emily Hendricks at emlhendr@indiana.edu.