WKU News & Events

May 06, 2002

WKU Dedicates Guthrie Bell Tower,
Celebrates Freedom

Bowling Green, Ky. - The Guthrie Bell Tower, Western Kentucky University's newest landmark, was dedicated Monday morning as a memorial to freedom and those who gave their lives defending it.

The 125-foot tower, made possible by a gift from the Lowell Guthrie family and Trace Die Cast, Inc., honors the 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.

Speaking on behalf of the Guthrie family, state Sen. Brett Guthrie recalled the supreme sacrifice his uncle made in Korea a half-century ago. "We never knew him, but our parents made sure we never forgot him," he told a crowd that featured Western faculty, staff and students, community leaders and military veterans.

Guthrie recounted how his uncle grew up in Alabama, became an Eagle Scout and wanted to serve in the military. "My uncle Bobby's sacrifice and those of many others have helped preserve this land of opportunity and the American dream," he said.

Granite etchings include images of Robert Guthrie and other veterans associated with Western, including former president Dero Downing, retired professor Bob Ward, Bob Kirby and Wendell Strode.

The Guthrie Bell Tower is not "a war memorial though we must be reminded of war," Brett Guthrie said. "But my uncle died for a cause; he died for freedom and freedom is not free. So we wish this to be viewed as a freedom memorial."

WKU President Gary Ransdell assisted Lowell Guthrie's sons in unveiling a statue of their uncle that stands at the base of the tower and presented the family with a replica of the bells housed in the tower.

Dr. Ransdell called the dedication of the new campus landmark "a memorable and historic day for Western and the Guthrie family."

Freedom, family, service and sacrifice served as a theme for the dedication ceremony. Granite benches surrounding the bell tower include quotations from several notable figures, including Maya Angelou, President Bush and Martin Luther King Jr.

One bench is inscribed with "Freedom is not free."

America's freedom is challenged on an ongoing basis, U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis said. "But it's so comforting to know that when we have those challenges that the American people are willing to step up to meet those challenges," he said.

Those who served in Korea and who serve America today around the world are not warriors but peacemakers, Lewis said. "They went to Korea to preserve the peace, to keep the peace, to allow us to enjoy peace," he said.

Even though the ceremony honored Robert Guthrie, "in reality we honor more than a single fallen hero," U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said. "We pay tribute to the freedoms he and his fellow soldiers died protecting.

"Further still we pay homage to what Americans can achieve when they take full advantage of those freedoms," he said, noting the success of Trace Die Cast.

In nine wars, 277,000 Americans have paid the ultimate price protecting our freedom, Western student Caleb Williams said. But all citizens must pay a price for freedom in service to our communities and our nation, he said.

"Now more than ever it is incumbent upon us to not only recognize the benefits and responsibilities that come with living in a free society but to honor and to keep alive the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice," said U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning.

"Today we dedicate this monument as a tribute to their patriotism, their spirit and their sacrifices. We lift our faces to watch it soar to the sky. We can take heart in the knowledge that Robert Guthrie and tens of thousands of others we honor here are surely smiling down on us today."

FACTS ABOUT THE GUTHRIE BELL TOWER
The Guthrie Bell Tower is made possible by a gift from the Lowell Guthrie family and Trace Die Cast, Inc.

The top of the bell tower is modeled after Cherry Hall, featuring a replica of the cupola, which architecturally unites the north and south ends of campus. The tower stands 125.5 feet tall with clock faces on all four sides.

The tower has a 47-bell (4½ octave) carillon that will weigh about 25,000 pounds. The four base bells were purchased from the van Bergen Company in Charleston, S.C., with the remaining bells to be added at a later date. The largest of the bells is 59 inches in diameter and weighs 4,630 pounds. The bells will sound the traditional Westminster chimes melody.

The bells were cast at the Paccard Bell Foundry in Lac D-Annecy, France. The Paccard Bell Foundry is a family-owned business that has been in operation for more than 300 years.

The ideology behind the clock tower and plaza is for students, faculty, alumni and friends of Western Kentucky University to celebrate the freedom we share as American citizens. The tower will serve as a tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives to make that possible.

Lowell Guthrie and others visited several memorials across the country including the Vietnam Memorial and Korean Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the chapel at Stanford University to formulate a design for the Guthrie Tower/Plaza.

The granite etchings for the Guthrie Bell Tower are made by the same company that made the etchings for the Korean Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Guthrie 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 who lost their lives in service to this country. Some of the men and women depicted in the granite etchings are Western alumni, including Bob Ward, retired WKU professor who served in the Korean War; Bob Kirby, who served in the Korean War; Dero Downing, WKU president emeritus who served in World War II; and Wendell Strode, who served in the Vietnam War.

The granite benches surrounding the bell tower include quotations from several historical figures. Some of the more notable inscriptions include the following:

"The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us." We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail." - George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

"America's strength is its diverse people, just institutions, shared values, and deep and abiding faith in God. No terrorist attack will ever extinguish the flames of freedom and democracy." -
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, September 11, 2001.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love"

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