Winged Victory

The “Winged Victory” statue stands in the lobby of the Forney Building at UNCG. “Winged Victory” is a statue of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and was a gift to the then State Normal and Industrial College (later UNCG) by the Class of 1915. The statue underwent a significant restoration in 1987. It was removed from the Forney Building in 2007 when the building underwent renovation, but was replaced in 2010, after another restoration. It is a replica of one of the most famous statues of Greek antiquity, the “Winged Victory (or Nike) of Samothrace.” It is titled as such because it was discovered on the Greek island of Samothrace in 1863 by a French archaeologist and brought to the Louvre museum in Paris. The original dates to circa 200–190 BC. An inscription on the base of the original statue states that it was dedicated by the Messenians and the Naupactians to commemorate their victory against the Spartans (probably during their war with the Spartans in 421, BC.