The four bells that will ring from the new bell tower at Rhodes Stadium were installed Aug. 29. Details and photos...
The bells were made by the van Bergen Bellfoundry, Charleston, S.C., and were cast at the world famous bellfoundry of Paccard-Fonderie de Cloches in Annecy, France.
Elon alumnus Mike Wilson ’70, who owns Wilcom, Inc., of Burlington, ran the hoist. Three workers in the tower used winches to guide the bells into position and attach them to supporting steel beams. The largest bell weighs 998 pounds and the smallest weighs 226 pounds. They are programmable and can ring four-tone tunes, using a computer that controls the strikers by remote control.
Each bell is inscribed with the words “Elon University 2001.” The largest bell is also inscribed with the phrase “Founded 1889,” the next largest bell is inscribed with “The Phoenix,” the third largest bell is inscribed with “Christian Church,” and the smallest is inscribed with the phrase “Numen Lumen.”