1921 On Feb. 14, Waddell is born in Des Moines, Iowa to William Wilder Waddell, an executive
for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co, and Isabel McGee.
1931 The family Waddell moves to Evanston, IL.
1934 Waddell attends Katherine Lord Studio, Evanston, IL.
1937-41 At age 16, starts teaching at Katherine Lord Studios.
1939 Graduates from Evanston Township High School.
Wins a full tuition scholarship, Art Institute of Chicago.
1939-41 Art Institute of Chicago, Painting & Sculpture.
University of Chicago, Psychology, Anthropology, Liberal Arts & Education.
1941-42 Eureka College, Psychology & Liberal Arts.
1942 Marries Elizabeth Owen in Evanston, IL.
Works at Buick Aviation Plant, Melrose Park, IL.
One-man show at Peoria Public Librairy, Peoria, IL.
1943 On February 4, John and Elizabeth have their first son Sean Owen.
1943-45 Military service.
1944 On June 10, John and Elizabeth’s second son Seamus is born.
1945 On December 20, John and Elizabeth’s third son Seanchan is born.
1946-49 G.I. Bill Tuition, Art Institute of Chicago.
1946-51 University of Chicago.
1947-55 Teaches evening adult classes, Central YMCA Adult Education Program in Chicago.
1948 Receives his Master of Fine Arts, Art Institute of Chicago.
Founding member of Exhibition Momentum.
One-man show at the Bordelon Gallery, Chicago.
Divorces Elizabeth Owen.
1949 Marries Ruth Holland in Chicago.
1949-55 Teaches Art and Art Education at National College of Education in Evanston, IL.
1951 Receives his Master of Art Education, Art Institute of Chicago.
Chairman of Exhibition Momentum.
1952 On September 12, Ruth and John have their first son Lindsey Waddell.
1953 One-man show, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
1954 On May 20, 1954 Ruth and John’s son William Waddell is born.
1954-55 Acting head of the Art Department, National College of Education, Evanston, IL.
1955-57 Waddell is head of Art Education, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL.
Supervises design of outdoor play sculpture for Dr. Bruno Bettelheim’s Orthogenic School.
Presents a Saturday morning series of TV programs on various form of art.
1957 One-man show, Fauve Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Accepts the position of Head of Art Education at Arizona State College (to become ASU) in Tempe, AZ.
Waddell and his family move to Arizona in the fall.
1958 One-man show at ASC.
Educational film : "Discovering sculpture" B&W 16mm, for Bailey Films, Los Angeles.
1958-59 Creates Saturday Art Workshop for Gifted Children at Arizona State University.
1959 One-man shows at La Jolla Art Center, La Jolla, CA (paintings only) and at the Bertha Lewinson Gallery,
Los Angeles, CA.
Completion of "Mother and Son", a bronze group now at Scottsdale Civic Center, AZ.
1960 One-man show at the Phoenix Art Museum, AZ. Intallation of sculptural relief panels at the Arizona Ranch
House Inn – destroyed by fire in 1962.
Spends the summer in San Juan Teotihuacan, Mexico. Works cast in bronze at the Moreno &
Sons foundry, Mexico City.
Sets up small foundry at Arizona State University; works on complete casting process with students at ASU.
1961 Installation of sculptural relief panels in Flagstaff, AZ.
Takes a two-year leave of absence from Arizona State University; moves to Valle de Bravo,
Mexico with his family.
Educational film : "Discovering Drawing and Painting", B&W 10 minutes 16mm.
1962 Three one-man shows, in California and Arizona.
Installation of "Dance Mother", life size bronze, at the Phoneix Art Museum (donated by Walter Bimson)
1963 In September, Waddell returns to Arizona. On the road, he hears of the Birmingham, AL bombing that killed
four black girls. Deeply moved.
Two one-man shows in Arizona.
Dance Daughters » at the Phoenix Art Museum.
1963-1964 Works on the 4-figure Birmingham group.
1964 In May, Waddell resigns as professor at ASU to dévote all of his time to his art.
Assists in casting the Birmingham group at Noggle Bronze Works, Prescott, AZ.
In September, one-artist exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, presenting the Birmingham group.
1965-67 Stays for two years and a half in Greece with his family, thanks to a grant from ten art patrons.
Casts his work at Karkadoulia Bros. Foundry.
1966 One-man show at Hellenic American Union, Athens,
Film "Technique of Bronze Casting" (16mm, 50 min) by Jerry Duchscherer.
1966 On January 26, 1966 Ruth and John’s daughter Amy Waddell is born.
1967 Exhibit of "The Family" at the Courtyard of American Embassy
in Athens, Greece.
B&W 20-minute film by Christos Pappatassos « An American Sculptor in Greece. »
August: Waddell returns from Greece.
Nov. 20, unveiling of "The Family" in front of the Maricopa County Buiding, Phoenix, AZ.
1968 Nine one-man shows in Arizona.
1969 Two group exhibitions.
Installations of sculptures «Despina» and «Martha» at Valley National Bank (Chase Bank), Phoenix, AZ
(purchased by Walter R. Bimson, President).
November 23, "That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963" dedicated at the Unitarian
Universalist Church in Phoenix, AZ.
1970 Two one-man shows in Arizona.
Publication of "Soul" by Dr. Harry Wood, a study of Waddell’s Birmingham group.
1970-74 Commission of Dance, a 12 figure over life bronze group commissioned by the Arizona Arts & Humanities
Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and Valley National Bank.
1971 Building of a new studio and residency complex in Verde Valley, AZ with the support of art patron
Louise Lincoln Kerr.
Creation of the Waddell Sculpture Fellowship, an apprenticeship in figurative
sculpture : long-tem residencies and workshops for selected students that
receive grants from the Master Apprentice Programs (MAP).
Waddell sets up a small foundry with apprentices to cast own
work and some student work at studio site.
1971-73 Casts small pieces and three life size pieces at his own foundry.
Participates in the Orme School Fine Arts Festival (group exhibition)
for the next 25 years.
1973 One-man show at Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, AZ.
Starts casting the Civic Plaza group at the Noggle Bronze
Works Prescott AZ.
1973-74 Lecture series at NAU.
1973-92 Adjunct professor at NAU.
1974 One-man show at Gallery Wall, Phoenix AZ.
Permanent installation of "Dance" at Phoenix Civic Plaza. Dedication May 19, 1974
Press coverage is squelched by Eugene Pulliam, publisher of The Arizona Republic & Gazette.
25-minute color film made for ABC TV by Stan Block : "Waddell, Man of Bronze".
1974-92 Extension of grants from Master Apprentice Program (MAP) to the Waddell Sculpture Fellowship, to
contribute to apprentice costs, including création of sculpture with live models, all aspects of the
bronze casting procès, aesthetics and other studies.
1975 One-man show in Phoenix at Gallery Wall.
Receives the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service in the Arts : "Man of the Year",
National Society of Arts and Letters, Valley of the Sun Chapter.
1977 Three one-man shows and one group exhibition.
1978 Show at Gallery Mack, Carmel, CA.
1979 One-man show at the National College of Education, Evanston, IL, with installation of "Seated Flute
Player", a gift of the Edward B. Weinstein family (a second casting is installed at the University of
Arizona, Tucson).
Waddell is made Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts and of Art Education at NCE.
"Waddell Sculpture Fellowship", an 8-minute color video directed by Marlo Bendau, filmed by
Richard Stettlemeier for PBS.
1980 Starts working on larger than life tennis players, a commission from Harold Maloney for the
National Junior Tennis Hall of Fame.
1981 One-man show and one group exhibition.
Installation of the bust of Walter Reed Bimson at the Phoenix Art Museum.
1982 Five one-man shows and one group exhibition.
Receives Alumni Award of Merit, Eureka College, Eureka, IL.
Exhibition at the Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA.
Installation of "Welcoming Muse", Robert Mondavi Winery, CA.
1983 Three one-man shows and two group exhibitions.
1984 Two one-man shows and one group exhibition.
Dec 15, a fire destroys Waddell’s studio and residence.
1985 Two one-man shows and one group exhibition.
Scottsdale Fine Arts Commission Award for Cultural Contributions.
1986 Five one-man shows and one group exhibition.
Publication of "The Beauty of Individual Differences", document 10 years of the Waddell
Sculpture Fellowship and Waddell’s philosophy of art education.
Exhibition at the Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA.
1987 Four group exhibitions.
1988 One one-man show and one group exhibition.
Installation of "Apogee & Momentum" at Flushing Meadows, NY, for the U.S. Tennis Association.
1989 Three one-man shows and three group exhibitions.
1990 Three one-man shows and three group exhibitions.
1991 Four one-man shows and four group exhibitions.
1992 Two group exhibitions.
Exhibition at the Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ.
1993 One-man shows and five group exhibitions.
1994 Exhibition at the Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA.
Two group exhibitions.
1995 Receives the Arizona Governor's Arts Award, Artist of the Year.
Completion of 7-figure « Celebration of Life » group.
Amy Waddell completes "The Reluctant Muse", a 60-minute video on her parents John and Ruth Waddell.
The video is broadcast on PBS in January, 1996.
1996 Completion of "Compassion" an 8-foot bronze figure.
Two one-man shows.
1996 Begins relief that will become Rising (completion 2008-09).
Major Survey of Paintings and Sculpture, Select Gallery and Sculpture Garden,Sedona, AZ.
1997-98 Art exhibit, Freed Art Gallery, Lincoln City, OR.
2001 Art exhibit, New School for the Arts, Scottsdale, AZ.
John & Ruth Waddell, joint show, West Valley Art Museum, Surprise, AZ.
2002 Art exhibit, New School for the Arts, Tempe, AZ.
2004 One man show, Phoenix Botanical Garden Major One-man Show, AZ.
2007 Reveals images of "Rising" in progress at San Diego Museum of Art, CA.
Speaks on panel at San Diego Museum of Art, CA.
John and Ruth Waddell join show, Shrine of the Ages, Grand Canyon, AZ.
2009 Film Maker Marlo Bendau completes film on Waddell : "Rising".
Exhibit, Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, AZ.
2010 Completion of "Rising".
One man show James Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA.
John & Ruth Waddell, joint show, Yavapai College, Clarkdale, AZ.
2011 Waddell celebrates his 90th birthday.
John & Ruth Waddell, joint show, Olney Gallery of Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ.
Completes 2-figure group : "The Healing".
One man show, Shemer Art Center and Museum, Phoenix, AZ.
