Charles Umlauf (July 17, 1911 – November 19, 1994) was an American sculptor and teacher who was born in South Haven, Michigan. His sculptures can be found in churches, numerous public institutions, outdoor locations, and museums, including the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as in many private collections. Umlauf received a number of accolades, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Ford Foundation Grant. In 1941 Umlauf accepted a position at the University of Texas School of Art in Austin, Texas, where he taught for 40 years. Artists teaching at UT included Loren Mozley, Everett Spruce, Kelly Fearing, Seymour Fogel, and William Lester. Umlauf retired as Professor Emeritus in 1981. In 1985, he and his wife Angeline Allen Umlauf gave their Austin home, Umlauf’s studio, and 168 sculptures to the City of Austin. Based on this gift and considerable community support, the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum was founded and opened its doors in 1991 as at 605 Azie Morton Road in Austin, Texas. The UMLAUF is a private–public partnership with the City of Austin. Early life Charles Umlauf was born in South Haven, Michigan, on a large farm where his family lived and worked. He was the sixth of eight children born to immigrant parents Christian Heinrich (Bavarian) and Charlotte Derouet (French-Alsatian). The Umlauf children were named Heinrich, Marie, Charlotte, Wilhelm, Edouard, Karl, Emelia, and Louis. The family moved frequently in search of work. The Umlauf family suffered from anti-German sentiment during the first World War. The family Americanized their names (Heinrich to Henry, Wilhelm to William, Karl to Charles) to avoid persecution in their Michigan town and schools. After enactment of the Espionage Act of 1917, Umlauf’s father was falsely accused of spying while working at an ammunition plant. Soon after, the windows were shattered in the family home. This treatment would influence the subjects and expression in Charles’ work. In 1918 the entire family relocated to Chicago in search of greater opportunities for work. Umlauf discovered sculpture early in his life, when he was a child, playing in the sand at Lake Michigan. He watched a sand artist on the beach, and subsequently sculpted a life-size sand sculpture of his own. Umlauf claimed that he knew at the age of ten that he was going to be a sculptor. At this