Denny Chimes

Denny Chimes

Have you ever been walking to class one beautiful afternoon on the quad and heard the relaxing music echoing from inside of the Denny Chimes Tower? Have you ever wondered where the music comes from and how? Or where the name came from? The Chimes can be seen all over campus and is one of the most popular advertising tools for the University which has prominently placed it on Capstone t-shirts, ACT cards, and even commercials for the Capstone. Whether you are walking to class, driving down University Boulevard, or even tailgating on the quad on Saturday for game day, you can hear the beautiful music chiming from the building. It has its own history, its own story behind it. It’s a symbol. Despite being one of the most recognizable landmarks on campus, most students do not realize how historically significant the Chimes really is.

The Chimes stands at approximately 115 feet tall, built from a concrete base with a pure red brick shaft that gradually tapers to the concrete top. Located around the bottom of the memorial, in the concrete squares, is the Walk of Fame that honors all previous Alabama Crimson Tide football captains. The Walk of Fame contains the name, year, foot, and handprints of each captain of the football team dating back to the 1940’s. It contains many notable football captains such as Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Scott Hunter, Jay Barker, Brodie Croyle, and John Parker Wilson.

In 1919, the idea to have a clock tower built in memorial for University of Alabama students who fought and died in World War 1 was suggested. The construction of the tower was put off due to financial problems until the late 1920’s. The Capstone students then raised enough money to finally have the tower finished in honor of University President George Denny (from 1912 until 1936 and again in 1941) after students learned about his planned retirement and return home to Virginia. Constructed by Skinner, Maxwell and Company the final cost of this beautiful momentum was approximately $40,000.00. Today the cost is equal to about $500,000.00.

If you stand on University Boulevard looking directly at the Chimes, you can see an entrance way that leads to the top of the tower via a spiral staircase. There, at the very top of the glorious monument is the location of 25 bronze bells (replaced with an electronic bell system in 1944) and plaques dedicated to alumni; the largest bell having an 11 foot circumference and a height of 3 feet with a set of Westminster Chimes. The organ, usually hand played by an organist, is found at the bottom of the Chimes. In 1966, a unit that controls this was installed to use set the Westminster Chimes and bells to play a variety of songs, typically every 15 minutes and every hour over a speaker system in order for the sound to be heard all over the campus. Also installed was a roll player that made it needles to read rolls of sheet music. This is how songs such as Pomp and Circumstance, Silent Night, the alma mater and the fight song were played.

Unfortunately, only certain people are allowed to climb the famous spiral staircase and make the trek up to the top of the historical landmark. One of these lucky spectators is Mike Largin. Largin is the director for IT support for financial affairs and is in charge of the upkeep and making sure the clocks are turned back when Daylight Savings Time arrives and if the electricity goes out. Largin did an interview with a writer from The Crimson White, Victor Luckerson. In the interview Largin made comments to Luckerson about the Chimes. Largin described it as, “an icon to the University.” He later went on to say, “you get a sense of history when you’re standing at the top.” Luckerson, also interviewed Garrett Marson, a graduate student who has the privilege of being one of the organ players. Marson plays the organ for memorial services, during the Christmas holiday season, and for the majority of the home football games. Marson also told Luckerson that on game days he leaves the door open so that people can see him play. Also, when you hear songs such as Disney themes or Happy Birthday, they are usually by request.

During this past spring, Denny Chimes had another renovation. The chimes were replaced by digital chimes which allowed it to play more like a keyboard that plays digitalized MIDI notes. With the new technology, the old rolls of songs that were once on old dusty paper are now electronic.

Denny Chimes is not just another building on campus. It is a historical marker that tells a story about the history and the accomplishments of thousands of students who currently or previously have attended the Capstone. The Chimes has become an important part of the culture at Alabama. It is a symbol that we, the students, all are part of this Capstone. Just like the students who came together in the 1920’s to help make this monument possible over 80 years ago, we are The University of Alabama.