20 years, an old copper-toned bell has sat silently in the University
Union. But for nearly 100 years, that bell was a way of life for
North Texas students.
made by the Grand Rapid School Furniture Co., came to campus in
1891. It hung in the old Normal Building where its chimes began
and ended classes and directed students to their boarding houses
for the 7 p.m. curfew.
remained there until 1906, when an architect deemed it too heavy
for the building’s construction. The 1,000-pound bell was moved
to the Power Plant — a good thing, since lightning struck the Normal
Building the following year and it burned to the ground.
the Power Plant roof, the bell continued its regular schedule, but
easy access made it a perfect target for pranks. Each April Fools’
Day, a student would climb up to remove the bell’s clapper and hide
it. The clapper once disappeared for two years. After business manager
J.W. Smith offered a reward, it reappeared and Smith had it welded
11, 1918, the bell rang all day and all night to celebrate the signing
of the Armistice, declaring the end of World War I.
members ring the spirit bell (former curfew bell) in 1968.
the Talons removed the bell from the Power Plant and used it as
a spirit bell. They rang it after athletic victories and for special
events. It also traveled with the group for road games, where it
again became a target for pranks. During a game against the University
of Texas in the late 1960s, UT fans stole the bell, painted it orange
and white and chained it to a pole. Luckily, the Talons were able
to recover it and restore its copper hue.
— 91 years after it first arrived in Denton — the Talons retired
the bell to the permanent display in the University Union. Chimes
in the Administration Building mark the passing of time today, but
they are not the essential part of campus life that the now-silent
old bell once was.