Northwestern University

Former Seabury-Weston Seminary at Northwestern University

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Richard Floyd Clinch and his wife Katherine Lay Clinch donated a chime to the Grace Episcopal Church. The nine bells were cast by the Meneely foundry in Troy, New York and were dedicated on December 29, 1901.

The church burned in 1915 although the chime was not damaged. The church was rebuilt, but the proximity to nearby St. Luke's hospital made it problematic to reinstall the chime, so it was returned to the Clinch family.

In 1928 the chime was given to the Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, which became the Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1933. The relocated chime was rededicated on March 26, 1936.

The family of Chicago meatpacker Laurance H. Armour, Sr., donated a 35-bell carillon to the seminary in 1953 in his memory, which included recasting two bells from the original chime. The carillon was dedicated on January 10, 1954 with a recital given by Wendell Westcott. Laurance H. Armour, Jr., was a trustee of the seminary.

The Very Rev. Charles U. Harris and his wife donated a bell to Smith College in 1957. He was the president of the Seabury-Western Theological Institute in Evanston, Illinoia, where a carillon had been installed in 1954. His wife was the sister of Dorothea Carlile, for whom the Smith Carillon is named.

Northwestern University acquired the seminary in 2009 and the seminary moved out of the property in 2012.

References
1901 "Has New Organ and Chimes," The Chicago Daily News, December 21, 1901, Page 10.
The gift of Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Clinch

1901 "To Dedicate Chime of Bells," The Chicago Daily News, December 28, 1901, Page 11.

1930 "R. Floyd Clinch Dies Suddenly in his Office," Chicago Tribune, November 8, 1930, Page 22.

1936 "Old Grace Church Chimes Installed in Gift Tower," The Chicago Daily News, March 16, 1936, Page 8.

1936 "Rededicate Clinch Chimes at Seabury Seminary Chapel," Chicago Tribune, March 26, 1936, Page 21.
The Clinch chimes of nine bells which formerly hung in old Grace Episcopal church, Wabash avenue and 15th street, before that edifice was damaged by fire twenty years ago yesterday were rededicated in the tower of Seabury Western Theological seminary chapel at Evanston. The tower of old Grace church was not destroyed by the fire and the bells were not damaged. But, due to the proximity of the new Grace church to St. Luke's hospital, they were not hung there. The chimes were the gift in 1901 of the late R. Floyd Clinch, coal merchant.
Mrs. Clinch gave the bells to the Evanston seminary in memory of her parents and sister. A feature of the dedication yesterday was the playing of the chimes by Miss Margaret Clinch, daughter of the bells' donors. Bishop George Craig Stewart and Bishop H. P. Almon Abbott of Lexington, Ky., and Mrs. Robert B.Gregory took part in the dedication.

1952 Laurance Hearne Armour (8 Mar 1888 - 29 Dec 1952) grave

1953 "Seabury-Western Given A Carillon of 35 Bells," Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1953, Page 44.

1953 "Evanston To Get Carillon," Chicago Daily News, June 22, 1953, Page 35
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, is to receive a 35-bell carillon as a memorial to the late Laurance H. Armour, Sr.
Mrs. Lacy W. Armour and her son Laurance Jr., of Lake Forest, are the donors.
Twelve bells from the seminary's present set of chimes will be included in the carillon.
The Episcopal seminary hopes to have the carillon bells, to be cast in Holland, installed by January, 1953. The chapel tower is to be remodeled for installation of the carillon.
The Armours will also present a practice clavier to permit the carillonist to practice without sounding the bells.

1954 "Carillon To Be Dedicated," Chicago Daily News, January 9, 1954, Page 14

2004 "Laurence Hearne Armour, Jr.," Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2004, Page 4-9
Larry served on the board of Seabury Western Theological Seminary.

2015 Laurance Hearne Armour Memorial Carillon, by Kimberly Schaefer