Clock tower chimes ring again on South Campus

After a hiatus of several years, the beautiful, stately ring of Westminster chimes has returned to the South Campus.

The chimes — which sound every 15 minutes — were shut down in 2011 as the university began an extensive renovation of Edmund B. Hayes Hall, the iconic 1800s building that houses the South Campus clock tower.

With construction on Hayes nearing its completion, the chimes were restarted on Oct. 15.

Their 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 the 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 words written by Cuthbert W. Pound, former chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals: “I am the voice of life; I call you: Come and learn.”

“I’m glad they’re coming back. I’ve missed them,” says Linda Young, a 22-year resident of University Heights and retired teacher who has a view of Hayes Hall from her porch. “I do a lot of gardening so I’m out in the garden in the summertime and it’s pleasant to hear the bells.”

Of the chiming, she adds: “It’s loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to disturb because it’s a pleasant sound. They’re very regular. You can depend on them. It’s reassuring. It’s part of the neighborhood.”

The sounding of the chimes marks an important milestone in the development of UB’s South Campus under UB 2020, the university’s strategic plan.

This classic campus off Main Street in Buffalo will continue to serve as an important center of education and research after the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences moves downtown in 2017. The $42 million restoration of Hayes Hall, home to the School of Architecture and Planning, is a key component of this vision.

“Hayes Hall is truly a beacon for our university and our surrounding communities,” says President Satish K. Tripathi. “And just as the famous clock tower is in many ways the symbolic face of our university, its chimes have been UB’s voice for decades. Hearing those chimes ringing once again is a very welcome signal of the exciting progress moving forward with renovations to this historic UB icon.”

Other South Campus facilities that have undergone extensive renovations in recent years include John and Editha Kapoor Hall, home to the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Wende Hall, home to the School of Nursing; Stockton Kimball Tower, home to the School of Public Health and Health Professions; and the third and fourth floors of Farber Hall, home to medical research labs.

Future plans call for the School of Social Work and Graduate School of Education to relocate to the South Campus, facilitating further engagement between these two schools and the Buffalo community.

“UB is re-energizing its South Campus to enhance learning and research, and create a more magnetic public space,” says Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration. “In addition to new and restored facilities, our plan reinforces historic quadrangles, restores the landscape and strengthens neighborhood connections through pedestrian pathways and transit-oriented development.”

“For more than 80 years, UB’s historic Hayes Hall, its clock tower and Westminster chimes have served as fixtures for our campus and community,” says Robert G. Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning. “The restarting of the chimes is a fitting harbinger of what will soon be the complete restoration and renewal of an iconic UB landmark and the creation of a state-of-the-art facility for the School of Architecture and Planning.”

The chime consists of a 400-pound bell tuned to exact D; a 550-pound bell tuned to exact C; a 750-pound bell tuned to exact B-flat; and an 1,800-pound bell tuned to exact F.

The bells ring every 15 minutes, with the longest melody sounding when the clock strikes the hour.