Farrell-Wright Carillon
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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