Purdue News
Purdue News
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Bell Tower is new campus landmarkWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.–The Purdue Bell Tower, a soaring new landmark at the heart of the Purdue University campus, will be dedicated at 9:3O a.m. Saturday (IO/14). A plaque will be unveiled that chronicles the significance of the new structure in the history of the university. The plaque will seal a shaft at the base of the tower that contains a time capsule, which will offer the Purdue community of a century from now a glimpse of Purdue in 1995. The new tower houses the four bells from the 1895 Heavilon Hall Tower, a landmark that defined the campus skyline for the first half of the 2Oth century. Its bells rang the hours and class times for some 6O years until the building was razed in 1956. The old tower rose from the rubble of the original Heavilon Hall, a then state-of-the-art engineering laboratory that was destroyed by a gas explosion and fire four days after its dedication in January 1894. The time capsule under the new tower will be unsealed in 2095, the centennial of the new tower's construction and the bicentennial of the old tower's completion. The Purdue Bell Tower was made possible with a leadership gift from Purdue's Class of 1948. Among the 7O items in the 18-inch, cube-shaped, stainless-steel time capsule are letters from Purdue President Steven C. Beering and Purdue Student Government President Kevin K. Parsons to their counterparts in 2O95; various Purdue publications, catalogs and souvenirs; memorabilia on the fund-raising efforts for the project; blueprints and specifications; videos, compact discs and cassettes; and a commemorative brick saved from the 1895 Heavilon Hall Tower. The text of President Beering's letter to his 2O95 counterpart: Dear Colleague, As Purdue's president, you are scheduled to receive this letter in the year 2O95, at the opening of a time capsule that today was sealed and placed beneath the Purdue Bell Tower. The tower has deep meaning in Purdue history, as some of the accompanying materials will explain in detail. It also has great personal significance for me. The tower rises just a few feet from my office window, and its bells are a regular reminder of the rich traditions that are our sacred trust. My fondest hopes as I write this letter are that you are enjoying the music of the same bells and that Purdue continues to thrive under your leadership. I cannot even imagine what Purdue is like in your era, but I know that the pace of change during my career here has been astounding. During the late twentieth century, America has moved from an industrial-based economy to one centered in information and service. Rapid technological advances in the electronics fields have given individuals vastly greater communications ability than ever before. I am certain that our world would seem primitive to you, but I believe history will record our era as one of exceptional progress. only a very few years ago, Americans received news and information almost exclusively from a handful of broadcast networks and newspaper wire services. Telephones (perhaps you will be forced to look this word up) functioned only when plugged into a network of wires. Documents could be transmitted only via mail or through expensive and unreliable electronic means. Today, nearly all Americans have access to instant communications from any location. A vast network called the World-Wide Web is spreading rapidly to provide universal global communication linkages. Politically, we are at a moment in world history when an extensive period of peace and prosperity seems not only possible, but likely. The long era of tension known as the Cold War has ended with the collapse of the communist governments which had ruled much of eastern Europe and Asia since the late 194Os. This seems to have ended a grim military tension between the United States and the country formerly known as the Soviet Union. Now we are trying to learn how to become allies and to foster peace and cooperation among all nations. One of the effects of this political change was to open up new possibilities for Purdue. As international barriers came down, we began to internationalize our academic programs, expand our teaching of languages and cultures, and offer extensive opportunities for study in other nations. These initiatives are transforming the University. Purdue researchers have made significant contributions to the discovery of new knowledge. In recent years, members of our faculty have discovered the structure of a virus that causes the common cold–an illness that I hope is very uncommon in your world. They have worked to find ways for travelers in space to grow their own food; I hope this knowledge has found extensive applicability by the time you read this. They also have developed more efficient manufacturing processes, created better crops, and in many other ways striven to create a better world. The work of teaching, research and service goes on constantly, and I trust this has not changed. The University always has been dedicated to the constant improvement of people, and it is my hope that this will always be true. This letter will be sealed on an October Saturday when the fall colors present Indiana at its most beautiful. Our farmers are bringing in a plentiful harvest, our state's economic prospects are strong, and our University is thriving. I hope that the work we have done in our lifetimes has made your work easier and more fruitful. As you look back on the last one hundred years, please regard us with kindness and think of us each time you hear the music of the bell tower. Hail Purdue! The text of PSG President Parsons' letter to his 2095 counterpart: Dear Colleague, As the current student body president of Purdue University, you have been given the awesome responsibility of representing the interests and concerns of all students at Purdue University. I congratulate you for having gained the confidence and respect of your peers to be elected into this position. It is a great experience that you will not forget. I have the utmost confidence that one hundred years from now there will not only be a Purdue University, but that this university will continue to be a leader in both instruction and research. I know that the current state of affairs at Purdue University has propelled it to be a leader among universities for the next hundred years. Let me explain a little bit about myself. I am a senior in the School of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Seattle, Washington. I came here, like many others, because of Purdue's outstanding academic reputation and excellence in the field of engineering. I was elected in November of 1994 to the position of student body president, or President of Purdue Student Government, with a majority vote from just over six percent of the student body. Purdue Student Government has existed at Purdue for over 8O years. The first record of a student body president was in 19O6 (R. Seybold) and the first Purdue Student Council was mentioned in the 1919 edition of the University Directory. Needless to say, this representative body has changed and adapted to the needs of students a number of times since. Since I am uncertain what will become of Purdue Student Government between now and 2O95, I will briefly explain our current structure and function on campus. Purdue Student Government (PSG) consists of three branches: the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Each branch functions separately to meet the same overall purpose, to serve students. The Executive Branch is responsible for providing educational programming and services for the student body. I have enclosed an organizational chart showing the four main divisions chartered to meet this purpose. The Legislative Branch is a representative body of 54 students from undergraduate housing units, graduate students, and underrepresented students. The responsibility of this branch is to write and pass legislation on behalf of PSG and the entire student body. This legislation could pertain to changes in PSG, resolutions of PSG, or recommendations to the university or other external organizations about issues of concern. The Judicial Branch consists of a Student Supreme Court which acts as the appellate court from the courts of the residence halls and the Greek system. It is also responsible to judge on appeals to Purdue traffic tickets. As the student body president, I am responsible to represent the student body on the Board of Trustees and the University Senate, to be the student representative to all external organizations, to lead the Executive Branch, and to actively solicit the concerns of the student body and take these concerns to the central administration. As a whole, Purdue Student Government is constantly addressing issues such as student apathy, racial tension, and Purdue pride and spirit. Student apathy can be easily seen by the number of students who came out to vote in last year's student body elections. Some of the current concerns of students are campus safety, preventing increases in tuition, library services, parking availability, recycling, and expanding the services provided at the Purdue Memorial Union and the Co-Recreational Facility. Approximately 35,OOO students now attend the West Lafayette campus and represent all 5O states and well over IOO countries around the world. In general, the students at Purdue are very conservative compared to our counterparts at other comparable sized institutions. A large number of students live in fraternities and sororities, also called Greek houses. As a matter of fact, Purdue's Greek system is currently the third largest in the nation. We also have eleven residence halls and two graduate houses which house a large percentage of students. Purdue students study a lot, but they also know how to have fun. There are over 55O student organizations for students to get involved in, from religious groups to club sports and everything in between. Students enjoy spending time in a number of places around campus, especially Chauncey Hall, the Village, Harry's Chocolate Shop, and the Sweet Shop in the Purdue Memorial Union. Also, when the weather is nice, students enjoy sitting outside and relaxing at the Purdue Mall, the Memorial Mall, and Founders Park. The members of Generation X, as we have been so fondly titled, have the opportunity and tools to excel like no other generation previous. The personal computer has become a common household item within the past ten years. Fax machines and electronic mail have revolutionized communication systems. Transportation is becoming more fast and efficient by the day with advancements in ground and air transportation. Surely, the advancements in medicine, science, transportation, and communication systems will pave the way for a better future for you. The world is not in any way perfect, however. War, famine, and disease are daily threatening the lives of innocent people worldwide. My hope for you is that when you read this letter, we will have figured out how to maintain peace in this world, solve the problems of famine and hunger, and find a cure for deadly diseases such as cancer. Additionally, the world has recently undergone a series of very historic events. The events remembered most by this generation will most likely be the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, the end of communism in eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. I am not sure what your generation will be facing, but I am confident that your responsibilities will be great. Clearly, representing the needs of tens of thousands of students is not something to be taken lightly. Remember at all times that you are representing not only your Purdue colleagues, but also all the alumni and student body presidents who have gone before you. I have no doubt that you will maintain the tradition of excellence and continue to help make Purdue an institution that we can be proud of. I wish I could stand there and read this letter with you, to feel the rush of the Indiana wind and walk on the grass between classes again. Cherish this time while you have it, remember where you and this university came from, and combine these into a beautiful future for the students of Purdue. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. A list of the contents of the Purdue Bell Tower time capsule: The inscription on the Purdue Bell Tower plaque: On January 19, 1894, Purdue University dedicated Heavilon Hall, an engineering laboratory with a tower that soared above the modest skyline of the fledgling campus. Four days later, the structure lay in ruins, destroyed by explosion and fire. Amid the shock and tears of the disaster, Purdue President James Smart issued a rallying cry that crystallized the spirit of the University: "That tower shall go up one brick higher!" It did go up again–nine bricks higher, according to legend–and the rebuilt Heavilon Hall and tower remained a campus landmark until they were razed in 1956. The four bells from the rebuilt tower, which tolled the hours and class times for generations of Purdue students, fell silent for almost 4O years. The Heavilon Hall bells now ring again in the belfry above, reminding all who hear their joyous peals that our University will ever strive to build "one brick higher." Made possible with a leadership gift from the Class of 1948. Time capsule below to be opened in 2O95 A.D. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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