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James Madison University - Madison - The Magazine of James Madison University - Spring 08 - Index

AlumniNews
{My Madison}
As I stroll past Wilson Hall
every year at Homecoming,
I am reminded of its faint
resemblance to the “clock
tower” from the 1985 hit
movie Back to the Future
minus the cupola and a couple of gigantic
cats. It has been more than 12 years since I
first saw that beautiful clock and thought,
“Wouldn’t it be great if there were chimes
to go along with it?” That was the summer
before my freshman year in 1995.
Now, fast-forward one year later to
when I had catapulted myself from freshman
class president to SGa secretary. During
fall semester 1996, the SGa president
asked the executive council to come up
with some topics for our breakfast with
then JMU chief operating officer and now President Linwood H.
Rose and other university administrators. I wanted to suggest to the
administration that we have chimes installed in the Wilson Hall
clock and that they be sounded hourly. The SGa executive officers
scoffed at such a notion, saying it would “waste the administration’s
time.” It’s possible that they saw me as immature,
because I was a few years younger, and it was rare to have a
sophomore in an SGa executive position.
I even recall exactly where I was when I made the suggestion
to JMU administrators: I was in the section of D-hall to the
right of the main stair entrance. The SGa president was
leading the meeting and then he said something like, “We
have one more thing, and I’ll let our secretary Tony
Madsen share that with you since it’s all his idea.”
I described my vision of a chiming clock tower,
which would beautify the JMU campus. The idea
was a hit, particularly with Charles King, JMU senior
vice president for administration and finance, who
had heard chimes at other campuses. The administration
agreed to pay for the balance if
the SGa would come up with about $3,500
of the cost. In the song/poem by historian
John W. Wayland (Madison’s first history
department head) the Bells of Blue Stone Hill
were on the way to becoming a reality.
The next step was writing a formal proposal
and getting the bill to pass through
52 MaDISoN MaGazINE
Sounding the bells of Bluestone Hill
Proudly striking a chord for the Wilson Hall chimes By Tony Madsen (’99)
about the author: Tony Madsen (’99)
graduated summa cum laude with a major in history
and minors in education and anthropology.
He has been a teacher for eight years and currently
lives in New Jersey. His interests include film (acting
and writing), vinyl records and rock ‘n’ roll,
antiques, classic cars, painting and snowboarding.
E-mail him at fishheadlouie@yahoo.com.
though he didn’t use his personal delorean like
a Back to the Future-style time machine, tony
Madsen (’99) forever changed the way time
is experienced on the jMU Quad. as a feisty
freshman, Madsen struck a chord for installing
musical chimes in the Wilson hall clock tower.
the SGa Senate. The money came from an
interest account that accrues from holding
organizational money the SGa assigned to
various clubs and organizations. after some
debate, the bill overwhelmingly passed.
The administration chose electronic
chimes — because they were less expensive
and easier to install in the 1930s-era Wilson
Hall cupola/pediment than a mechanical
clapper/mallet and extremely heavy metal
bell. The electronic chimes offered much
more versatility and have been used in many
more creative ways than a conventional bell
could have ever been used, and there was the
option to strike a Westminster chime every
15 minutes or just strike on each hour. It
has been used to play Christmas music before
winter break and the JMU Fight Song
on game days. The electronic chimes can even be turned off to avoid
disrupting College of Education commencement on the Quad.
The first time I heard the Wilson Hall chimes was on a spring day in
1997 as I was standing on the steps that lead down to The Commons.
I was very pleased with the clarity and realism of the electronic
bell. I was very proud that I had the courage to stand up for my
suggestion even though my colleagues thought it kind of silly.
after the “bells” went in, not everyone was as ecstatic about
my chimes. I received at least two “darts” in The Breeze. one
dart was concerned that the chimes would disturb the hospital
residents next door. another critic suggested that the
money could have been better spent for things like bike
racks. I defended the project, because I knew the
SGa had other funds to use to better the Madison
campus. My only regret is that I did not get
the SGa to have a brass dedication plaque made
to hang in the Wilson Hall lobby. By the time I
asked, there was no more money left in the
1996-97 operating budget.
The chimes are a legacy that I’ve been
very proud to leave JMU. I hope they will
continue to bring joy to future Dukes well
into our next century. It was Back to the
Future’s Doc Brown, (played by Christopher
Lloyd), who said, “If you put your mind to it,
you can accomplish anything.”
I’d like to add to that. If you put your mind
to it, you can accomplish anything, especially
with some unique imagination,
courage and a JMU
education. Enjoy
the chimes.
M