University of Florida

Century Tower at the University of Florida

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

The university built a tower to honor a century since its founding, but had no money to install the bells that had been planned. In 1956 Winn-Dixie owners A. D. Davis and his brother, J.E. Davis donated an electronic carillon that was placed in the nearby auditorium with wires running to speakers in the Century Tower. A construction crew severed the wires in 1975, silencing the tower.

The university administration then decided to use accumulated student fees to purchase 49 Eijsbouts bells, which were dedicated on May 14, 1979 by Milford Myhre.

However, at the time of the Century Tower's completion in 1956 there was no money to buy bells for a carillon. An electronic bell system given by J.E. Davis and A.D. Davis, two of the Davis Brothers who controlled Winn-Dixie, was used until it finally broke down in 1975. In 1976, $200,000 from accumulated student fees was used to buy the initial set of 49 bells.[2] A Dutch bellfoundry, Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry[8] designed, fabricated and installed the full carillon. In May 1979 the carillon was dedicated in two recitals by Milford Myhre,

A 2002 gift from the estate of Larry A. Webb of St. Augustine, Florida funded the renovation of the carillon and 12 additional Eijsbouts bells.

References
1956 "Bradenton Man Heads U.F. Alumni," The Tampa Tribune, March 25, 1956, Page 14-C.
Dr. J. Wayne Reitz, university president, announced a demonstration of an electronic carillon system in the century tower and said the university was hoping some one would donate a system costing between $16,000 and $22,000.

1956 "U. of Florida Century Tower Bells Dedicated," The Tampa Tribune, November 4, 1956, Page 18.
The Milton and Ethel David Carillonic bells were dedicated in the Century Tower of the University of Florida today.
The bells in the tower are the gift of A. D. Davis and his brother, J.E. Davis in honor of their parents.

1956 "U. of F. Bells Toll -- 24 Hours Late," Tampa Bay Times, November 4, 1956, Page 44.
The Century Tower bells represent the finest electronic chimes in the world today and closely approximate the famous chimes of Bok Tower in Lake Wells.

1977 "Florida's Century Tower stands tall, but silent," The Tampa Tribune, July 3, 1977, Page 15.

1979 "New Bells to Toll in Campus Tower," The Orlando Sentinel, March 28, 1979, Page 27.
A set of 49 bronze carillon bells will be delivered Wednesday.
The chimes were donated to the university in 1956 and could be heard until 1975 when a construction crew working on nearby University Auditorium accidentally severed the cables leading to the machine.

1979 "Florida U's Century Bells To Dedicated Monday," The Tampa Tribune, May 10, 1979, Page 1D.

1979 "Century Tower Bells to Toll Again for UF Students," The Orlando Sentinel, May 14, 1979, Page 13.

2002 Larry A. Webb, 1930 - 2002

2009 Songs of the Century

2019 UF celebrates 40 years of Century Tower bells

Century Tower

Carillon Studio

Larry A. Webb and Jean V. Webb Carillon Fund