Yes, the noun statesman is a common noun, a Word for any statesman of any kind.
A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or a title; for example:
- Ambassador Dennis Ross and the Honorable Elliott Abrams, recipients of the The Washington Institute's 2012 Scholar-Statesman Award.
- Statesman Street, North Babylon, NY or Statesman Street, Walla Walla, WA
- Idaho Statesman (newspaper), Boise, ID
- "The Fable of the Statesman Who Didn't Make Good", 1915 silent film, comedy short
