The state's other representative in the collection is Father Junipero Serra, whose bronze likeness holds a little mission in his left hand and a cross in his right.
The Reagan statue stands on the other side of the entrance to the Rotunda from a statue of a uniformed President Eisenhower, who represents Kansas. The statues are donated by states to recognize figures important in their history and are a popular tourist attraction.
The statue of King, a Unitarian minister who was credited with helping keep California in the Union through his oratory, will be put on display in the state Capitol in Sacramento.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, which paid for the Reagan statue, declined to provide its cost.
Don Ritchie, the Senate's associate historian, said that although he was sad to see the King statue go, "I've rarely met a Californian who knew who he was."
"I suppose that former presidents will have more staying power," he said. "Anyway, having your statue in the U.S. Capitol for almost eight decades is a pretty good run, even if it's not for eternity. And since King was a minister, he would likely have recalled Solomon's warning in Ecclesiastes: 'Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.' "
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richard.simon@latimes.com
