McConnell Tower - The University of North Texas - Denton, TX, USA
N 33° 12.685 W 097° 08.915
14S E 672550 N 3676251
Constructed in 1955-1956, the McConnell Tower is the signature piece of the Hurley Administration Building on the campus of the University of North Texas.
Waymark Code: WM12YHP
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/07/2020
Views: 4
A 2013 historical marker placed by the University stands near the steps leading up to the entrance. It has an inset photo of the building, taken decades ago when you could still drive a car here, along with this text:
Built at the north end of the first campus football field, the Administration Building was completed in 1956. In addition to administrative offices, it housed third-floor classrooms and was considered the center of campus in both location and design. Its tower was a memorial to President Emeritus W. Joseph McConnell, who died in 1955. He oversaw the construction of 22 major buildings as president from 1934 to 1951. Building a tower had been a longtime dream on campus, and several designs were proposed through the years. The first, drawn up in 1928 by architect and former student O'Neil Ford, included features that were later incorporated into McConnell Tower. Envisioned as a memorial to students who served in World War I, Ford's tower also was designed with an illuminated clock and chimes to replace the old curfew bell. The Depression ended the plans for that tower, but the money collected helped furnish the new union, dedicated as a student veteran memorial in 1949. Several hundred people attended the dedication of McConnell Tower and its symphonic carillon in 1956, and many more heard the bells throughout town. The tower was said to stand "as a symbol of our hands and hearts and heads uplifted to greater service to public education." In a longstanding campus tradition, green lights illuminate the tower after athletic victories. In 2002, the building was named in honor of Chancellor and President Emeritus Alfred F. Hurley and his wife, Johanna. He served as president and chancellor from 1982 to 2000 and as the first full-time chancellor from 2000 to 2002.
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The original carillon has since gone electronic, and you'll hear it chiming regularly throughout the day. Keep your ears open for the school fight song and the alma mater. Be on the lookout for the tower to turn green after athletic victories, as the University of North Texas is known as the "Mean Green". If you know an alumnus, ask to see their class ring, as the McConnell Tower is featured under the year they graduated.