WKU News & Events

December 14, 2001

WKU Unveils Four Bells For
Guthrie Plaza's Tower

Bowling Green, Ky. - Four large bells for Western Kentucky University’s new bell tower were unveiled Friday afternoon at Diddle Arena.

The bells, cast at the Paccard Bell Foundry in Lac D-Annecy, France, will be part of the clock tower in the Guthrie Plaza at the Media and Technology Hall courtyard.

The clock/bell tower and courtyard were made possible thanks to a leadership gift from Lowell and Carolyn Guthrie and Trace Die Cast. This gift is part of an overall $1.5 million commitment to Western.

"I am excited that members of the Western family and friends of the University will have a chance to see these bells before they become a part of the carillon," said Lowell Guthrie, president and CEO of Trace Die Cast.

"Inscriptions on the bells dedicate them to the spirit of Western, its alumni, faculty and staff, and they recognize family members and others who have meant so much to us, including the Trace Die Cast board of directors," he said.

The clock/bell tower is built in memory of Guthrie's brother, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Guthrie, who was killed in the Korean War, and all those associated with Western who lost their lives in service to this country. The courtyard is named in honor of Guthrie's wife, Judith Carolyn Guthrie.

"We are grateful to the Guthrie family and the employees at Trace Die Cast for their generous support of this new campus enhancement," WKU President Gary Ransdell said. "We are also proud to pay tribute to Robert Guthrie and to WKU men and women who have given their lives in service to our country.

"These bells are a prominent part of this permanent tribute. They will enrich the lives of everyone within listening distance of the campus."

Until the four bells are installed in the tower in early 2002, they will remain on display on the ground floor of Diddle Arena. Fans attending Hilltopper and Lady Topper basketball games will be able to view the bells and read the inscriptions.

The bells were purchased from the van Bergen Company in Charleston, S.C. The largest of the bells is 59 inches in diameter and weighs 4,630 pounds. The goal is a 47-bell (4½ octave) carillon that will weigh about 25,000 pounds.

The bell tower will be modeled after Cherry Hall, which will architecturally unite the north and south ends of campus.

Guthrie and an architectural committee traveled to various college campuses to get a feel for the kind of structure they wanted to build at Western. "I think it is important to provide students with a place where they want to gather on campus for concerts and forums," he said.

Although he is not a Western alumnus, Guthrie said he is grateful for the resources Western has provided him and his business.

"It is our wish that students, faculty, staff, visitors to the campus, and the Bowling Green community will enjoy the music of the carillon for generations to come," Guthrie said.

More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.