MAIN HALL (open 7:45-11 weekdays; 9-6 Sun.), head of Oval opposite end of University Ave., one of the oldest buildings (1898) on the campus, houses the administrative offices and has classrooms and a
small auditorium on the second and third floors. It is designed in a modified Romanesque style with an impressive entrance and clock tower. In the entrance hall is a topographic map of the State, 7 by 12 feet, with geological structure indicated by coloration; relief maps and an exhibit of Montana petroleum products are near it. In the basement are cases of minerals and rocks gathered by the geology department.
Montana: A State Guide Book, 1939
Its physical appearance has changed not a whit since 1939, but there has been one important change to the building - the addition of a carillon in the hall's clock tower. Designed by Missoula architect A. J. Gibson, the Richardsonian Romanesque style building is still in use, primarily for administrative offices.
The carillon tower, built in 1897, was dedicated to John Ellis, music professor and carillonneur of the university, after his death in 1992. Originally simply a bell tower, it became a carillon tower when the donated carillon bells were installed. It was dedicated on October 18th, 1953 and contains 47 bells, covering four octaves, all of which were donated by friends of the university. The nine ton carillon is played from the clavier below. It was played for 23 years by carillonneur John C. Ellis, from 1969 to 1992.
