Sculpture honoring Mapp family dedicated Dec. 19 in Fairhope
Artist Casey Downing Jr. was commissioned to create the piece that depicts Fairhope philanthropist Louis Mapp and Cullen Potter, a patient Mapp met while volunteering to rock newborns in the NICU at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
By Casandra Andrews
candrews@health.southalabama.edu
To honor a local family’s devotion to the advancement of academic medicine and wellness initiatives, a new bronze sculpture was unveiled On Dec. 19 at the USA Health Mapp Family Campus in Fairhope.
Artist Casey Downing Jr. was commissioned to create the piece that depicts Fairhope philanthropist Louis Mapp and Cullen Potter, a patient Mapp met while volunteering to rock newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
“We are truly honored that Louis and Melinda Mapp have shared their time, talents and resources with our patients, staff and the entire USA Health community for many years,” said Owen Bailey, MSHA, FACHE, USA Health chief executive officer and senior associate vice president for medical affairs. “We would not have the presence we have in Baldwin County today were it not for their unwavering commitment to academic medicine and their hearts for helping others.”
Louis and Melinda Mapp donated approximately eight acres of land for the campus, and the University of South Alabama named it in their honor. The Mapps are long-time supporters of USA Health and have served as dedicated volunteers at University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
“We are incredibly grateful for everything the Mapps have done for our academic health system and hope this sculpture will stand as a reminder of their legacy of giving for generations to come,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. “Because of their vision, we are now able to offer specialized healthcare and the training of new physicians on a beautiful campus in Baldwin County that also addresses wellness, nutrition and prevention strategies for the community.”
The Mapp Family Campus is home to Baldwin Family Medicine and USA Health specialty care providers, plus the Baldwin County Surgery Center, where physicians perform outpatient procedures, allowing patients and their families to stay close to home.
Designed to create a peaceful environment, the campus includes water features, walking paths, outdoor educational and gathering areas, plus a teaching kitchen for community cooking classes. Located at the southeast corner of state highways 181 and 104 in Fairhope, the statue of Louis Mapp will be permanently displayed alongside a walking path.
