Campanile (Iowa State University)
Encyclopedia
The Iowa State University
Campanile is located on Iowa State's central campus, and is home to the Stanton Memorial Carillon
. The campanile is widely seen as one of the major symbols of Iowa State University. It is featured prominently on the university's official ring and the university's mace, and is also the subject of the university's alma mater
("The Bells of Iowa State").
was constructed in 1897-1898 as a memorial to Margaret MacDonald Stanton, Iowa State's first dean of women, who died on July 25, 1895. The tower is located on ISU's central campus, just north of the Memorial Union. The site was selected by Margaret's husband, Edgar W. Stanton, with the help of then-university president William M. Beardshear.
The campanile stands 110 feet (34 m) tall on a 16 by 16 foot (5 by 5 m) base, and cost $6,510.20 to construct.
In 1899, Edgar Stanton donated the carillon's first ten bells in memory of his late wife. Each of the original bells is inscribed with a different quotation selected by Edgar Stanton. After Edgar died in 1920, the bulk of his estate was given to the university. In 1929, a portion of this money was used to purchase an additional 26 bells that were added to the carillon in Edgar's memory. In 1956, an additional 13 bells were purchased by the Stanton Memorial Trust. One final bell was added in 1967 to bring the carillon up to a total of 50 bells. The bells and their supports at the top of the campanile weigh nearly 30 short ton
s (27 t), with the heaviest bell at 5,737 lb (2,602 kg). The carillon sounds every quarter hour (playing "Westminster Quarters") and can be heard from most of campus.
In 1991, budget cuts at Iowa State and the Music Department was not able to fund a replacement for the carillon position following the retirement of Professor Richard Grabow. As a result, the bells remained silent until September 19, when Kenn McCloud, morning disk jockey and operations manager for KCCQ-FM in Ames
, locked himself inside the Campanile with intentions to stay inside until $10,000 was raised—enough to pay a guest carillonneur to play. By September 24, Ames residents, students, faculty and alumni had donated $10,700 to the "Bucks for Bells" campaign and McCloud emerged. The next morning, two ISU Alumni, Jean and Micheal Steffenson offered a leadership gift for the Campanile renovation.
On November 18, ISU Alumnus Thomas Sutherland was released from captivity in Lebanon after over six years. At one of the first press conferences following his release, Sutherland was quoted as saying,
On December 5, an ISU Alumnus read Sutherland's comments in The New York Times
and pledged half of the remaining $175,000 dollars needed to reach the $350,000 goal for the Campanile renovation and issued a challenge to alumni to complete the goal.
In a December 1991, letter to President Jischke, an anonymous donor expressed hope that the Campanile would never again reach a point of serious deterioration. The donor contributed $1 million to permanently endow the Campanile and assure that funding would be available for future upkeep.
By the summer of 1992, the challenge had been met by over 2,700 alumni and friends and construction began.
Between 1992 and 1994, the campanile underwent renovations with major gifts from:
Also in 1994, two ISU alumni, Charles and Ivadelle Cownie, donated $250,000 to Iowa State's music department in order to establish an endowed carillon professorship within the department. The current Cownie Professor of Music (and the fifth carillonneur in ISU history) is Dr. Tin-Shi Tam. ISU holds a 20 minute carillon concert every weekday at 11:50 a.m. and at other special occasions. The concert is usually performed by Dr. Tam, though students and others do occasionally perform.
exterior, improvements to the bell chamber arches, new clock movements and a digital control system for coordinating the clock and chimes. This work was completed by Reitz Engineering. The carillon renovations were completed by the I.T. Verdin Company and included, a redesigned framing for the bells to hang from, repositioning the bells, new clappers, new playing console, and a new practice console. The practice console is housed in Room 47, Music Hall. The playing cabin was renovated by Walker Metzger Architects and included, wood paneling for the walls, and a ceiling treatment. Carpet, air conditioning and heating were also added to the cabin area.
, or other occasions, during which time hundreds or even thousands of students gather near the campanile to continue this tradition.
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
Campanile is located on Iowa State's central campus, and is home to the Stanton Memorial Carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
. The campanile is widely seen as one of the major symbols of Iowa State University. It is featured prominently on the university's official ring and the university's mace, and is also the subject of the university's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
("The Bells of Iowa State").
History
The campanileCampanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
was constructed in 1897-1898 as a memorial to Margaret MacDonald Stanton, Iowa State's first dean of women, who died on July 25, 1895. The tower is located on ISU's central campus, just north of the Memorial Union. The site was selected by Margaret's husband, Edgar W. Stanton, with the help of then-university president William M. Beardshear.
The campanile stands 110 feet (34 m) tall on a 16 by 16 foot (5 by 5 m) base, and cost $6,510.20 to construct.
In 1899, Edgar Stanton donated the carillon's first ten bells in memory of his late wife. Each of the original bells is inscribed with a different quotation selected by Edgar Stanton. After Edgar died in 1920, the bulk of his estate was given to the university. In 1929, a portion of this money was used to purchase an additional 26 bells that were added to the carillon in Edgar's memory. In 1956, an additional 13 bells were purchased by the Stanton Memorial Trust. One final bell was added in 1967 to bring the carillon up to a total of 50 bells. The bells and their supports at the top of the campanile weigh nearly 30 short ton
Short ton
The short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...
s (27 t), with the heaviest bell at 5,737 lb (2,602 kg). The carillon sounds every quarter hour (playing "Westminster Quarters") and can be heard from most of campus.
In 1991, budget cuts at Iowa State and the Music Department was not able to fund a replacement for the carillon position following the retirement of Professor Richard Grabow. As a result, the bells remained silent until September 19, when Kenn McCloud, morning disk jockey and operations manager for KCCQ-FM in Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, locked himself inside the Campanile with intentions to stay inside until $10,000 was raised—enough to pay a guest carillonneur to play. By September 24, Ames residents, students, faculty and alumni had donated $10,700 to the "Bucks for Bells" campaign and McCloud emerged. The next morning, two ISU Alumni, Jean and Micheal Steffenson offered a leadership gift for the Campanile renovation.
On November 18, ISU Alumnus Thomas Sutherland was released from captivity in Lebanon after over six years. At one of the first press conferences following his release, Sutherland was quoted as saying,
"I was very, very moved when I heard on Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
a recording of the bells of Iowa State, which I particularly appreciated hearing when I was a student there on campus," Sutherland said. "So when I heard them ring out 72 bells on the occasion of my seventy-second month (in captivity), I was extremely happy. So to Iowa State, I would say, 'Keep the bells ringing.'"
On December 5, an ISU Alumnus read Sutherland's comments in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and pledged half of the remaining $175,000 dollars needed to reach the $350,000 goal for the Campanile renovation and issued a challenge to alumni to complete the goal.
In a December 1991, letter to President Jischke, an anonymous donor expressed hope that the Campanile would never again reach a point of serious deterioration. The donor contributed $1 million to permanently endow the Campanile and assure that funding would be available for future upkeep.
By the summer of 1992, the challenge had been met by over 2,700 alumni and friends and construction began.
Between 1992 and 1994, the campanile underwent renovations with major gifts from:
- Classes of 1940, 1942, & 1987
- The Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation
- Bobbi and Roy ReimanReiman GardensReiman Gardens is situated on a 14- acre site located immediately south of Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, Iowa. Reiman Gardens is a year-round facility that has become one of the top ten attractions in Central Iowa...
- Jean and Michael Steffenson
- Esther and Harold Wilcke
Also in 1994, two ISU alumni, Charles and Ivadelle Cownie, donated $250,000 to Iowa State's music department in order to establish an endowed carillon professorship within the department. The current Cownie Professor of Music (and the fifth carillonneur in ISU history) is Dr. Tin-Shi Tam. ISU holds a 20 minute carillon concert every weekday at 11:50 a.m. and at other special occasions. The concert is usually performed by Dr. Tam, though students and others do occasionally perform.
Keep the Bells Ringing Renovations
In 1992, renovations began on the nearly 100 year old Campanile. The tower itself received restoration to the brick and terra cottaTerra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
exterior, improvements to the bell chamber arches, new clock movements and a digital control system for coordinating the clock and chimes. This work was completed by Reitz Engineering. The carillon renovations were completed by the I.T. Verdin Company and included, a redesigned framing for the bells to hang from, repositioning the bells, new clappers, new playing console, and a new practice console. The practice console is housed in Room 47, Music Hall. The playing cabin was renovated by Walker Metzger Architects and included, wood paneling for the walls, and a ceiling treatment. Carpet, air conditioning and heating were also added to the cabin area.
Tradition
Campanile folklore states that an ISU student is not a "true Iowa Stater" until having been kissed underneath the Campanile at the stroke of midnight. This rite of passage lives on during "Mass Campaniling" at Homecoming, VEISHEAVEISHEA
VEISHEA is an annual week long celebration held each spring on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The celebration features an annual parade and many open-house demonstrations of the university facilities and departments. Campus organizations exhibit products, technologies, and...
, or other occasions, during which time hundreds or even thousands of students gather near the campanile to continue this tradition.