Media Advisory: Clock tower chimes ring again on UB's South Campus

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The beautiful, stately ring of Westminster chimes is returning to the University at Buffalo’s South Campus as the renovation of Hayes Hall, which houses the university's clock tower, progresses.

Media are invited to attend an event on Monday, Oct. 19 that celebrates the restarting of the chimes, which were shut down in 2011 as construction on Hayes Hall began.

The chimes’ return marks the revival of a tradition that began 87 years ago. According to the University Archives, the four-bell Westminster chime in the Hayes Hall clock tower was a gift from Kate Robinson Butler, a longtime University Council member and the wife of Edward H. Butler, president of the Buffalo Evening News. Kate Robinson Butler became president and publisher of the News after her husband's death, and also served as president of WBEN Inc.

The Hayes Hall bells were originally set in operation on the evening of July 19, 1928, according to the archives. Now, their familiar ring is greeting students, faculty and the community around UB's South Campus again.

Each of the four bells weighs between 400 and 1,800 pounds, and carries an inscription befitting its presence in a place of learning. The smallest bell, for example, bears the words, "I am the voice of life; I call you: Come and learn."

Hayes Hall, home of UB’s School of Architecture and Planning, is a cherished historic asset in the South Campus community.

The building dates to circa 1874, and its renovation and restoration is a key component of UB’s vision for the South Campus, which will continue to serve as an important center of education and research after the medical school moves downtown in 2017.

WHAT: Event in celebration of the restarting of the Edmund B. Hayes Hall clock tower chimes

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: The lawn outside Hayes Hall on UB’s South Campus. Rain location: Covered portico at the top of the steps of Abbott Hall on South Campus.

WHO: Speakers will include:

• Laura E. Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration, UB
• Robert G. Shibley, dean, UB School of Architecture and Planning
• Gregory Brown, resident of the surrounding community

WHAT: The Hayes Hall clock tower chimes were restarted on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Monday's celebratory event commemorates their return.

Speakers will discuss the significance of the chimes to UB and the community; the renovation of Hayes Hall, which is scheduled to reopen in 2016; and UB’s continued investment in its South Campus.