Alumni Bell Tower - 1985 - Alva, Oklahoma
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 36° 47.846 W 098° 40.086
14S E 529609 N 4072452
NWOSU bell saved and erected in this tower in 1984, dedicated in 1985.
Waymark Code: WMZM24
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/28/2018
Views: 3
County of marker: Woods County
Location of marker: Oklahoma Blvd. (US-64), NWOSU Campus, Alva
Erected: 1984
Erected by: Alumni Association
I was headed for Texas, and a Historic Marker hunt. Back in those days I did a little waymarking, but only Historic Markers...since I was an Editor on a historic marker site.
Did not know this University even existed, stopped and wandered the campus, from the statue of the bucking-bronco mascot statue to the science center.
Along the way walked under this three legged structure, and did not realize its importance until I looked up into the bottom of the bell. OH, MY!
Almost like inside a dome. The structure rests on a bed of bricks, from The Castle, and rises on three concrete legs, painted bright white. A concrete platform and huge cauldron above, and the "BELL" hanging under the platform. Never found out what the cauldron was, a place for a flame? or just getting rid of some steel, or needed to counter the bell's weight. Never found out.
Dedication Plaque:
THIS BELL TOWER
IS DEDICATED TO THE
ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
STATE UNIVERSITY
Joe J. Struckle, University President
Thelma Crouch, Director of Alumni
Karen Koehn, Alumni President
Terry Manning, Chairman
ALLUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Ayers Thelma Crouch
Troy Bowles Karen Koehn
James Bradley Verna Pelter
Rich Cantillon Fred Schamburg
1985
Marker Text: The bell first rang in 1898 to call students to class in the "Castle on the Hill."
The Castle was destroyed by fire in 1935. The bricks in the base of this tower and the bell were salvaged from a replica of The Castle built by the Alumni Association in 1956.
This tower was funded by the Alumni Association and Friends of Northwestern Oklahoma State University.