The Oval (also known as the Stanford Oval)[2] is an oval-shaped sunken lawn on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, United States.[3] It has had flower plantings in the shape of the letter "S", for Stanford.[4]
Though the oval space has existed since the start of the university, its current look dates from 1980 when an anonymous couple donated $150,000 for it to be renovated. A central flower garden was added and paths repaved.[1]
The lawn once had a statue called Faith. The Olmsted Brothers recommended removing the statue in 1914.[5] In 2020, students created a memorial in the Oval following the murder of George Floyd.[2]
The lawn has served as a meeting place for other protests.[6][7] It has also been recreated in "Stanford in Minecraft" in 2021.[8]