Cleveland Tower

This watercolor shows Cleveland Tower as seen from just outside Procter Hall at the Old Graduate College in the noon autumn sun.

Cleveland Tower, designed by Ralph Adams Cram, is a prominent landmark of Princeton University. It is one of the defining architectural features of the Collegiate Gothic Graduate College, inspired by Boston College's Gasson Hall. The tower was built in 1913 as a memorial to former U.S. President Grover Cleveland, who also served as a university trustee. A bust of the former president is the centerpiece of the grand chamber at the tower's ground level.

Class of 1892 Bells

The tower's carillon was dedicated on June 17, 1927. The class of 1892 presented the bells as their 35th reunion gift to the university. The English foundry Gillett & Johnston cast the original 35 bells. A plaque near the tower's entrance reads:[1]

The Class of Eighteen Ninety Two presents the carillon in this tower to Princeton University with love and gratitude and the hope that its bells may ever inspire coming generations of Princeton men to maintain the traditions of their alma mater in the service of God and of their country


After decades of varying use and maintenance, the bells were rededicated on June 13, 1993. The Class of 1892 Bells are now one of the largest carillons in the world with 67 bells and a bourdon (G) weighing 12,880 pounds. The Chapel Music Program maintains the carillon program with assistance from an endowment by the class of 1892.[2] The bells play Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, except during exam periods. The summer programs include performances by international guests. A carillon practice room is also housed in the Graduate College basement.

Lisa J. Lonie, University Carillonneur, is the only fourth carillonneur in the instrument's +80 year history and the first female to hold the position.

See also

American Collegiate Gothic towers:

References

  1. ↑ Transcription to Wikipedia from first-hand witness, David Liao, July 28, 2007
  2. ↑ "Princeton University Carillon in Cleveland Tower", Accessed July 28, 2007