It is in Chicago's historic Graceland Cemetery and was designed by American sculptor Lorado Taft in 1931.

[2] The Chicago Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy and William Dougherty in 1875.

[6] The knight, with a large sword and shield, was an image that Taft had contemplated for years; he used it in numerous works besides The Crusader.

[7] Unlike Taft's earlier work, The Crusader emphasizes its "sheer mass", helped by the lack of realistic details in the sculpture.

[7] The monument does not bear Lawson's name, but does have an inscription which reads, "Above all things truth beareth away the victory",[2] a quote from 1 Esdras 3:12.