After NC State’s recent basketball success, members of the Pack flocked to the Memorial Belltower in celebration, but many students are unaware of the rich history behind the tower’s creation.
Built to honor NC State alumni who died in World War I, the project of designing and constructing the Belltower began in the early 1900s. A plaque in the shrine room, the area at the base of the tower, lists the names of the 34 soldiers. A 35th name, “George E. Jefferson,” is also included to serve as a symbol for unknown men killed in the war.
Surrounding the memorial are four bronze towers that hold floodlights. These lights illuminate the tower with a red glow for several significant events, including major NC State athletic achievements, commencement ceremonies and Packapalooza.
Thomas H. Stafford Jr., former vice chancellor for student affairs, has given over 1,000 tours of the Belltower. Despite the memorial being one of the most iconic places on campus, Stafford said many students don’t know its history.
“They do not know that it is a military memorial, a sacred place, a place where we remember and honor those NC State men who joined the military and died during World War I,” Stafford said. “You need to think about it in those terms when you see the tower.”
Stafford said there have been significant changes and renovations in the Belltower since he first started giving tours. Today, the interior is adorned with a green marble staircase, brass handrails and a chandelier.
“The room now is so different,” Stafford said. “I am so proud to take groups inside the shrine room today. It is absolutely gorgeous.”
However, Stafford said the Belltower has not always been the place students went to celebrate. When NC State’s men’s basketball team won the NCAA tournament in 1983, students went to the Brickyard, with crowds growing larger after each tournament win.
“Students were bringing sofas from their apartments,” Stafford said. “They were bringing chairs and tables. Anything that would burn, students were bringing to the Brickyard and throwing them on the bonfire.”
Todd Kosmerick, NC State University archivist, is working on a video series highlighting various landmarks embodying NC State’s history, ranging from the Brickyard and Belltower to the Court of North Carolina.
“It’s a rich history,” Kosmerick said. “The university has historical markers at many or all of the hallowed places.”
In one of his videos, Kosmerick gives a walking tour of the Belltower. He explains that originally the tower played recordings of bells rather than sounding real ones. Five real bells were added to the tower in 2012, and a full set of 55 bells was purchased in 2017.
In addition to being a site for athletic celebrations, several events are held at the Belltower each year. NC State’s legendary Krispy Kreme Challenge, which has raised over $2 million for UNC Children’s Hospital since 2004, is organized annually at the Belltower.
A timeline beginning in 1862 can be found on the NC State University Libraries website with information about the tower’s construction and other historical events from NC State’s past. Kosmerick encourages students to dive into this fascinating history.
“It is a big campus and a lot of times students are just focused on whatever part of campus they have their classes in, but I think everybody should get out there and explore the entirety of campus,” Kosmerick said. “There’s a lot of interesting features and a lot of interesting buildings.”
For more information about the Belltower, students can make requests through a special collections form on the Libraries website. Those interested in touring the monument can contact Stafford at thstaffo@ncsu.edu.
