Though the new beams of light shine heavenward, Taylor University’s bell tower stays grounded in the legacy of the past.
Dedicated in 1986, the Rice Bell Tower still overlooks the campus today. Nearly 72 feet tall, it houses a carillon bell system, ringing out hymns in worship to the Lord.
According to a Taylor University article, the H. Maria Wright Hall became the first building on the new Upland campus in 1893. Its most prominent feature was its tower, which stood as a symbol of Taylor for nearly 67 years. The bell rang out at mealtimes, classes and curfew until tragedy struck on Jan. 16, 1960.
A fire broke out in the chemistry lab, and despite the efforts of local fire departments, the tower burned to the ground.
For 26 years, Taylor existed without a bell tower until the construction of Rice Bell Tower began. During construction, the crew used a unique method, building the tower from the top down.
The first bricks of the tower were laid seven stories in the air, and the crew began to work downwards, bricklayer Randy Germann, who now lives in Hartsburg, Mo., said.
Concrete spires rose high into the air, Germann said, as the construction crew assembled scaffolding that reached the top of the tower. Workers stood on the scaffolding and installed outriggers to bridge the gap between the scaffolding and the tower itself. Bricklayers drilled holes into the concrete and bolted steel angle irons into place before beginning to lay bricks in sections, with the first section rising about three feet tall.
“I was never crazy about heights, to be totally honest,” Germann said. “The most important thing to do was not look down.”
Once each section of the tower was placed, workers washed the bricks with muriatic acid and capped them with limestone to protect them from weather damage before lowering the scaffolding to do the next angle iron ring, Germann said.
When the tower was complete, Taylor held a dedication ceremony on the grounds on Oct. 26, 1986.
“After 26 years, the tower symbol has been restored, signifying the union of spirit and mind,” a program bulletin for the event stated.
Even before they’d completed the tower, the workers understood the significance of what they were building.
“I realized the symbol, the symbol of the cross,” Germann said. “To think that you'd see that for miles around was a wonderful symbol.”
At the base of the tower, a cross is imprinted on the bricks. The tower, which is made of two large brick pillars, is then joined together at the top, with the two arms representing Faith and Learning.
As students walk around campus today, the bell tower still serves an important role on campus — more than simply tolling the hour.
“Understanding that generations of Taylor students have walked underneath it, and that we can continue to walk in the path that’s been set up for us, that’s meaningful,” Luke Opfermann, junior sports management major at Taylor, said.
Opfermann said the tolling of the bells reminded him of his grandma’s house. The ringing adds a feeling of warmth to campus, making students feel welcome and at home, he said.
The legacy of the tower as a symbol of Taylor University continues to grow. The beams of light that shine from the tower were relighted during Homecoming and Family Weekend.
“Each beam of light symbolizes the integration of faith and learning, shining as a tribute to Taylor's legacy,” Taylor University said in a post on X (originally Twitter).
The relighting of the beams continues to represent Taylor's long legacy while also leading into the future.
For many students, those beams signify more than a simple streetlight.
“It’d be the same, like how we're equipped here at Taylor, to help be a light to help guide the rest of the world,” Travis Peters, senior exercise science major at Taylor, said.
The bells of the tower play several times a day, ringing out songs like “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “How Great Thou Art.”
Today, the tower still stands tall, a striking display against the rural skyline connecting Taylor’s past to the present and pointing toward the future.
