The Thomas Dry Howie Memorial Carillon & Tower
The Thomas Dry Howie Memorial Carillon and Tower is one of the largest Dutch bell installations in the Western Hemisphere. It was cast in the famous Royal van Bergen Bellfoundries at Heiligerlee, the Netherlands. The 59 bells, totaling 30,300 pounds, vary in weight from 25 pounds to the 4,400 pounds of the great Bourdon, as the lowest bass bell is called. The bells are hung in a stationary position and can be played from a concert keyboard of two manuals. The carillon is equipped with a Westminster chime to strike every quarter-hour. The bell tower is 90 feet high, topping the chapel by 35 feet.
The Thomas Dry Howie Memorial Carillon and Tower were donated to The Citadel by two alumni, Charles E. Daniel, 1918, and R. Hugh Daniel, 1929, in tribute to their friend, Maj. Thomas Dry Howie, 1929. Following the destruction caused by Hurricane Hugo, the tower was repaired by the Class of 1957.
