McCarthy's bust back on display

APPLETON - His name, his words, and even his image have been controversial through the years. That's why finding a home for a bronze bust of former Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy has been tough.

McCarthy is best known for his anti-communist crusade in the 1950's.

The bust was commissioned by McCarthy's wife in 1957 after he died. She eventually donated it to Outagamie County. It sat in the courthouse and administration building until 2001, when the county board decided that Joe had to go. At the time, the county board felt honoring McCarthy was inappropriate, since his name had become synonymous with making reckless and false accusations. The bust was subsequently donated to the county's history museum

“There were people that thought it gave the wrong message about what Outagamie County was," said Matt Carpenter, the curator at the county's History Museum at The Castle in downtown Appleton.

The bust was on display at the History Museum from 2002 to 2004 for a temporary exhibit, but it has been in storage ever since. That changed Thursday, however, when the museum brought McCarthy back out for good.

The permanent exhibit is entitled "Why McCarthy?" Four short videos accompany the bust.

Carpenter says numerous visitors had requested the bust be displayed.

"Regardless of their political viewpoint, they wanted to see the bust whether they loved to hate the man or thought he deserved a place in honor," Carpenter said.

Carpenter said the exhibit tries to let people make up their own minds about the former senator.

"Our point isn't to memorialize the man but to objectively present the facts that surrounded his life," he added.