Wellesley College

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Galen L. Stone Tower, Wellesley College

Charlotte Nichols Greene donated a 30-bell carillon to Wellesley College in memory of her parents, Charlotte Peabody and John Howard Nichols.  The carillon was dedicated on June 25, 1931 with a recital by Edward B. Gammons.  The bells were cast by the Gillett and Johnston Bell Foundry in Croydon, England, and installed in the Galen L. Stone Tower on the campus.  Greene's former husband, Edwin Farnham Greene, had been a Wellesley trustee from 1912 to 1917 and president of the Wellesley board of trustees from 1916 to 1926.  The Greene's were active members of the Wellesley community and honorary members of the class of 1916. 

The Class of 1947 donated two bells cast by the John Taylor Bell Foundry of Loughborough England that were installed in 1987.

Charlotte Nichols Greene was also involved in the 1937 carillon at Alfred University and her children later donated a carillon in her memory to Norwich University in Vermont.

References
1928 Report of the President, 1926-1927
Page 6:  Mr. Edwin Farnham Greene asked to be relieved of the office of President of the Board in November, 1926, and in May, 1927, because of increasing business cares, presented his resignation from the Board. Mr. Greene was elected a trustee in 1912. He served on the Finance Committee and the Executive Committee and was chairman of the latter for many years. He was made President of the Board in 1916. He not only gave liberally of his time and thought to the business of the Board, but he entered into the life of the College to an unusual degree. That this interest was appreciated was shown by the fact that the Class of 1916 made him their honorary member. At the beginning of the Semi-Centennial Fund he was very generous in giving much time to the campaign of 1921,

1931 "Chiming Of Carillon Rouses College On Commencement Morning; Donor Arranges Greene Room In Tower For Students' Recreation," The Wellesley News 39(31):1 (June 22, 1931)
The bells are the gift of Mrs. Edwin Famham Greene, of Boston, in memory of her parents, Charlotte Peabody and John Howard Nichols.

1931 "Carillon Recital Tonight," The Boston Globe, June 25, 1931, Page 4.
The feature this evening will be the recital to be given on the new carillon at the college, from 7 to 7:30. The carilloneur will be Edward B. Gammons, organist and carillon player at St Stephens Church, Cohasset.-The Wellesley College carillon, which was recently installed, was the gift of Mrs Edwin Farnham Greene of Boston. Mrs Greene and Mr Johnson arranged the event, and the conference expects a great number of visitors from nearby cities and towns.

1931 Report of the President 1930-1931
Page 13:  Mrs. Charlotte Nichols Greene, the donor of the carillon, had seen its beginning in the foundry of Gillett and Johnston in Croydon, England, and has continued her interest in it since its installation, providing a carillonneur for Commencement.

1955 Charlotte Nichols Greene (4 Feb 1879 - 28 Mar 1955) grave

1975 Wellesley College, 1875-1975 : a century of women
Page 317:  The tower which rises above it was given by Galen L. Stone, a Boston banker who was a trustee from 1915 until 1925; the carillon in the tower was the gift of Charlotte Nichols Greene, honorary member of the Class of 1916, whose husband had been a trustee from 1912 until 1927.

Wellesley College Guild of Carillonneurs  

© 2023 Morris A. Pierce