The lion is the mascot of Columbia University sports teams.  I attended both the undergraduate Columbia College and the School of Law in the early through mid-late 80s.  When I visited the campus a few weeks ago, I saw this statute called the “Scholar’s Lion,” and was a bit befuddled because I did not remember it at all.  I felt a little better after I got home and discovered that the statute was presented to the University in 2004.