Campus bell tower donated by 1898 UNL almunus

About 23 minutes after every hour, it begins.

It starts with a loud ring, ricocheting off Morrill Hall, springboarding off Andrews Hall and then heading in every cardinal direction; it finally rests in the ears of campus-goers.

The Ralph Mueller Tower first rang some time in 1949 and has been treating students to the sound of bells ever since.

"When it rings, it's supposed to encourage those of you that are talking on campus to get to class," joked Ted Weidner, associate vice chancellor for facilities, management and planning.

The 82-foot tower was donated to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by Ralph Mueller, who graduated in 1898 with a bachelor of science, said Tracy Hinderks, an information specialist with the University of Nebraska Alumni Association.

In 1936, Mueller received an electrical engineering degree from the university and got an honorary doctorate of engineering and architecture in 1943.

Mueller made a fortune inventing and selling alligator clips, which are temporary electrical connectors used to joining electrical circuits together, and other connectors, Weidner said. Mueller had an affinity for the carillon bells and decided to donate a tower with them to UNL.

It was dedicated on Nov. 4, 1949, and designed by an architecture student from UNL.

The tower was designed to house carillon bells, which are used to make those ding-dong songs. Mueller donated a similar tower to the Cleveland Zoo and other Midwestern schools that are known for their bell towers.

But the tower here doesn't have the bells Mueller was so fond of.

"We cheat a bit here," Weidner said. "We've got the tower - we didn't get the bells."

Instead, the tower has electronic bells that pump fight songs, holiday music and show tunes through four speakers located at the top.

The music comes from digital tapes, Weidner said, which makes it a little difficult: occasionally you can hear other school's fight songs at inappropriate times.

"There's things like the Michigan State fight song, 'Rambling Red' from Georgia Tech, 'On Wisconsin' and 'The Eyes of Texas are Upon You,' " Weidner said. "Can you imagine that? What's that playing in Nebraska for?"

Fight song rivalries aside, the tower is a well-known piece of architecture on campus. Sculptor Richard Serra designed "Greenpoint" around the tower, making it appear to lean as one looks through its curved panels. ("Greenpoint" is the brown, circular sculpture near Burnett and Andrews halls.)

So the next time you hear The Beatles or a gospel song in ding-dong form, you'll know who to blame: Ralph Mueller.

Bells of the Big 12

Baylor University

McLane Carillon

Waco, Texas

The carillon bell tower was dedicated as a gift from the Drayton McLane family and McLane Company Inc. in 1988.

The 48-bell, 22-ton McLane Carillon is among approximately 115 carillons in North America with a range of four or more octaves.

The bells can be played at regular intervals manually from the tower or operated by a computer system to play melodies. The bells at Baylor University strike the quarter hours and the hours.

Source: Baylor University

University of Texas

University of Texas Tower

Austin, Texas

The University of Texas Tower is a 56-bell carillon and is the tallest carillon in Texas. The tower shaft is 59 feet wide and 74 feet wide at its base.

The tower is lit in several configurations to commemorate events, such as athletic championships or campus accolades. The office of the president of the university is located on the fourth floor of the tower.

In 1966, a student shot and killed 13 people from the observation deck, injuring 30 additional people. The deck closed in the early 1970s because of two attempted suicides from the deck. Before the deck was closed, it was visited by upward of 70,000 people per year. The deck reopened in 1999 with guardrails in place and guided tours.

Source: Emporis Buildings

Texas Tech University

Baird Memorial Carillon

Lubbock, Texas

Ruth Baird Larabee made a donation to the university to buy and install a carillon in memory of her parents in 1973.

The 36-bell carillon played for 30 years at the campus during times of celebration and solemnity. The carillon was refurbished in 2005, adding additional bells to give it three and a half octaves.

Each year on the Fourth of July at 1 p.m., the carillon is played with the ceremonial ringing of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Source: Texas Tech University

Texas A&M University

Albritton Tower

College Station, Texas

The bell tower was dedicated on Oct. 6, 1984, by Martha and Ford D. Albritton. The tower is 138 feet tall and contains 49 Westminster chimes. The bells ring every quarter hour and can be programmed to play music.

There are 49 bells, and the largest one weighs more than 6,000 pounds.

Source: Texas A&M University

University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Memorial Union

Norman, Okla.

The Union acquired the addition of its 99-foot clock tower in 1936. In 1955, carillon bells were installed in the tower.

The bells play every half hour, and popular selections played include "Boomer Soomer" and "Oklahoma!".

Source: University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Library Carillon

Stillwater, Okla.

The Alma Mater "This OSU hymn" is played at 20 past the hour. Whenever OSU faithful gather, alumni use their arms to spell the letters "O-S-U" on the final three notes of the song.

Source: Oklahoma State University

University of Colorado

Macky Auditorium

Boulder, Colo.

There is an electronic bell system in the towers of Macky Auditorium, which houses performing arts for the university; they ring on the hour during the day.