Liam Flood - The History of the Altgeld Chimes and Bellringing Culture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a storied bellringing culture that emerged just shortly after the founding of the university. It consists of a single tolling bell, a 15-bell North American chime called the Altgeld Chimes, a 23-bell carillon at the University Lutheran Chapel which no longer exists, a Schulmerich "Carillon Americana" which may not still exist, and a 48-bell carillon playable only via computer in the McFarland Memorial Bell Tower. The historical record shows that the Altgeld Chimes has dominated the local bellringing culture. 

In revealing these instruments' histories, this thesis shows

1. the important role just a handful of individuals play in initiating a local bellringing culture and keeping it alive,
2. shows how bellringing culture is involved in building and representing a community, and
3. proves to the carillon community that chimes are just as important as carillons (or in the case of this local culture, more important) and that they should be protected and celebrated.