George Meade (1815-1872) graduated from West Point and served in the Mexican War. He became a general during the Civil War and participated in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. He lead the Union forces to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1864 but was criticized for not being aggressive in pursuing the Confederate Army after that battle.

The statue was a gift of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.