On April 17, 1964, the Regents of the University of California approved a project to place a landmark bell tower on the campus of UC Riverside. The project had been in the works for a while, and was finally coming to fruition.
The desire to have a large architectural statement on a UC campus was not new. In fact, many comments can be found attesting to the fact that the origins of UCR’s bell tower lie in the Sather Memorial Tower on the campus of UC Berkeley.
In Riverside’s case, Philip Boyd (the first mayor of Palm Springs, namesake of the Boyd Deep Canyon Research Center, and former UC regent) and his wife Dorothy, funded the project as a gift to the university. It was hoped the tower would act as an “identifying architectural feature and unifying symbol … and serve as a rallying center in student affairs” according to the Riverside Daily Press.
The University of California Board of Regents’ approval started a new phase of the project — choosing an architectural firm to design the edifice. Several firms were invited to submit proposals, most of whom either already had completed buildings on campus or had buildings in the works. Most of the firms invited were from the greater Los Angeles area, but one — Ruhnau, Evans, Brown & Steinman, was from Riverside.
The location for the project at the time was simply given as north of the library and south of the future student union.
Nearly a year after the Board of Regents’ approval, it was announced the tower would have an authentic carillon at its top. A carillon is a set of bells of different sizes and tones controlled from a keyboard. A total of 48 bells were to be placed in the tower.
In spring 1965, the Los Angeles-based architectural firm of Jones & Emmons was chosen to design the tower. The chosen design was by A. Quincy Jones.
Work began on the tower later that year, and construction was completed during summer 1966. Then the work of installing the carillon, which had been fabricated in France, began.
Dedication of the 161-foot tall tower and carillon was held on Oct. 2, 1966, about two and a half years after the initial announcement.
While the landmark was hailed as both an architectural statement and a musical treasure (there were only three other carillons on the West Coast, none of which were in working order), not everyone on campus agreed.
Several students wrote protesting the use of funds for such a building when, at the same time, the hours of the library were being cut to save money. Similarly, adding a structure that is still among the tallest in the city was bound to raise some eyebrows, and several comments centered around the visual intrusion such a building produced.
Regardless, the bell tower was there to stay.
The carillon remains as one of the few in the United States, and Riversiders are fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy free concerts on the massive instrument at noon every Monday.
If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype@gmail.com.
