Farrell-Wright Carillon

1806 Avenue J Map | News | ID#: Timeline Apr. 13, 1980 Farrell-Wright Carillon dedicated c. 1997-98 Removed Namesake Aileen Farrell Wright Lee Roy Wright Sources Houstonian, January 31, 1995 Today@Sam (Oct. 20, 2005)

The Farrell-Wright Carillon was the name of the musical equipment that broadcast chimes over main campus. Its most visible component was the eight-speaker public address system situated on the roof of the the Administration Building. What sounded like bells were in fact tuning-forks plugged into a three-tiered keyboard console that could be programmed or played live.

In 1980, Robert L. Wright (1924-2012), a West Columbia High School and later University of Texas graduate who attended Army Specialized Training at Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1942, provided a donation to establish the Farrell-Wright Carillon, in honor of his parents, Aileen Farrell Wright and Lee Roy Wright.

The carillon played automatically Monday-Saturday at 10:50 a.m. and 4:50 p.m., and again Sunday afternoons at four o’clock.  50-foot rolls of music, similar to rolls used to play a player piano, were used for special occasions such as the Tree of Lights ceremony, building dedications and holidays.

Following renovations at the administration building it was removed due to age.

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