William Severson (1924 - 1999) was known for his sculpture works, specifically his corporate, institutional, liturgical and private commissions. His sculptures can be seen in 28 US states, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Moscow. He was a co-founder and former president of the St. Louis Sculptors Gallery, and the first artist-in-residence at the Missouri Council of the Arts program in Chillicothe, Missouri.
One of his last major sculptures, the Millennium Spire, is located at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois. During the Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice, the sun casts a perfect shadow of a cross on the grass beneath the monument.
