The Ansel Street Bell
Historical note · Office of the President
The bell was mounted at the Institute’s Ansel Street entrance in 1979 and was struck by graduating students on the last day of instruction each spring until 1994. Photographs of the practice are held in the College archive and in the collection of the Tolliver County Historical Society.
The bell did not move to Corliss Pike. The College does not know where it is.
What the record shows
The College conducted a search of its records in 2016 in response to alumni inquiries. The following is the complete documentary record:
| Date | Document | Content |
|---|---|---|
| June 1979 | Institute purchase order | “Bell, brass, w/ yoke and mount — $310” |
| 1979–1994 | Commencement programs | The practice is noted in fifteen consecutive programs |
| May 1994 | Facilities work order | “Remove bell and mount, Ansel entrance.” Marked complete. |
| November 1993 | Conveyance inventory, Ansel Street property to Tolliver Township | Line 47: “Bell, brass, mounted” |
| — | — | No further record |
The 1993 conveyance inventory predates the 1994 work order, and the College cannot reconcile the two. Tolliver Township was asked in 2016 and again in 2021 and has no record of receipt or disposition. The township’s records for the period were not retained under a schedule.
The College has made no further search and has no present plan to make one.
Standing response
Inquiries about the bell are received several times a year, most often from alumni of the 1979–1994 period and most often in May. The Office of the President responds with the record above.
The College has received three public records requests concerning the bell since 2019. Each was fulfilled in full at no charge. The responsive records are those listed above.
Page last revised 30 October 2026 · about/history/the-bell · Office of the President