Pampa Harvester statue

Who is this "Pampa Harvester?"

You are viewing a unique sculpture of a physically strong person who might have harvested wheat around the turn of the 20th century near Pampa, Texas.  This "Harvester" has paused to survey the sweep of the horizon, and he seems to see challenges of the future in goals to be met, cities to be built, and lives to be lived.

It is this purposeful spirit of the Pampa Harvester that the artist/ sculptor Don Ray has captured in bronze, a metaphor of all who have attended and worked at Pampa High School, all who have called themselves Pampa Harvesters--administrators, coaches, counselors, teachers, parents, students, maintenence personnel, cafeteria workers, and visitors who have contributed and who will contribute to the ongoing creation of Pampa High School.  Embodied in this statue of the Pampa Harvester are the memories of the past, the excitement of the present, and the accomplishments of the future. In this emblem of inspiration are the traits of a teacher with a solid combination of expertise and leadership and the character of a student with the persistence and resolve to learn and to perform in academics, in the arts, and in sports.

So if you are a participant in Pampa High School's past, present, or future, you are this person--this "Pampa Harvester."

Attributed to Ted Swindle, Class of 1956 | Found on the PISD website at http://www.pampaisd.net

                Ted Swindle was inducted into the Hall of Fame Honor                  as the 2016-2017 recipient.

Website for the Pampa ISD - Hall of Fame https://www.pampaisd.net/308858_2

An uncommonly ordinary man, Teddy (Ted) Franklin Swindle is the author of the question and answer – “Who is this ‘Pampa Harvester?” – inscribed on the wall of the Pampa High School rotunda above “The Harvester” statue given to the school by his PHS Class of 1956. This honor has given him a special place in the life of his former high school. Also, his successful pursuit of an annual contest for seniors at Pampa High School to have them give their own answers to the question he first posed has made his place in the history of a school more than 100 years old a lasting and continuing contribution in behalf of his PHS Class of 1956.

This information is offered to provide a means for viewers of “The Harvester” statue and what he wrote to know something about who this Pampa Harvester was. One of the most lasting honors came to Mr. Swindle in Year 2000 when his Pampa High School Class of 1956 classmates asked him to write something for the artist/sculptor Don Ray to help him with his creation of the eight foot tall, almost 1,000 pound bronze statue, “The Harvester,” which was given to Pampa High School by the PHS Class of 1956.

What Mr. Swindle wrote, a response to the question he posed, “Who is this ‘Pampa Harvester’?” was inscribed on the wall of the high school rotunda where the statue was eventually positioned. For several years, Mr. Swindle has given the PHS Class of 1956 first place award to seniors who answered that question in an essay contest, “Who is this Harvester,” to give a current view with each passing year.