Who did the architect of Mt. Rushmore want to be on it?

Answer 1

Borglum personally chose all of the figures to be carved on Mount Rushmore. He chose George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.... but his favorite was Abraham Lincoln - even eventually naming his son "Lincoln".

When Borglum saw the mountain he pointed to it and said, "America will march along that skyline."
Borglum liked Mount Rushmore because it faced southeast which meant it would receive good light throughout most of the day. It was the highest peak in the immediate vicinity, and the granite was very resistant, eroding one inch every 10,000 years. Borglum told Robinson they needed subjects of a national focus. Robinson agreed and Borglum selected George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

His first commission after his return to New York in 1901 was the statue of Lincoln that stands in the rotunda of the Capitol, Washington, D.C. Other works of his earlier period include another figure of Lincoln (Newark), a statue of Henry Ward Beecher, and the Mares of Diomedes .

Answer 2

If Borglum had a hero of his own, it was 26th President Theodore Roosevelt, who promoted construction of the Panama Canal and ignited progressive causes such as conservation and business reform:

Answer 3

Porky Pig