the first real rock stars were created more than eight decades ago.
in 1923, a south dakota historian named doane robinson had an idea to bring more people to his beloved black hills of south dakota. why not create a monument to four of the most famous faces in history?

dreaming in south dakota

robinson selected four former presidents as the focus: george washington (1732-1799), thomas jefferson (1743-1826), abraham lincoln (1809-1865), and theodore roosevelt (1858-1919).
his idea seemed like an impossible dream at the time. however, robinson was determined to make his dream a reality. he persuaded congress to grant him permission for the task.

finding the right artist

in 1924, robinson asked sculptor gutzon borglum to turn a mountain into a monument. borglum agreed to bring robinson's dream into reality.
borglum had studied art in paris at the académie julian, where he was influenced by sculptor auguste rodin. borglum was fascinated by rodin's use of light in his sculptures. the light was like a magic touch of life to lifeless stone, and borglum was a perfect match for the task.

dedication

after overcoming many challenges, george washington's face was dedicated on july 4, 1934, perfect for independence day. thomas jefferson was dedicated in 1936. president franklin roosevelt attended the ceremony. roosevelt was so inspired by the work that he gave an unprepared speech. abraham lincoln was dedicated on september 17, 1937, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the constitution. in 1939, theodore roosevelt's figure was dedicated.

finishing touches

the work continued for two more years as finishing touches were made. however, in 1941, borglum died suddenly. his son, lincoln, took over the project until money ran out seven months later. at that time, the carving of mount rushmore was stopped and the project was completed.
the finished memorial covers 1,278 acres and rises 5,725 feet above sea level. the giant granite sculptures have become landmark "rock" stars, attracting two million fans a year from all over the world.

name lifespan presidential term year sculpture dedicated u. s. president order
george washington 1732-1799 1789-1797 1934 1
thomas jefferson 1743-1826 1801-1809 1936 3
abraham lincoln 1809-1865 1861-1865 1937 16
theodore roosevelt 1858-1919 1901-1909 1939 26
2
why does the author use numbers in parentheses after the presidents' names in the section "dreaming in south dakota"?
a.
to show how many people voted for each man
b.
to show when the artist met the presidents
c.
to show how long the presidents served
d.
to show when the presidents were alive