Sesquicentennial Bell
The Ringing of the Sesquicentennial Bell
The music of the University of Northern Iowa is a cornerstone of the campus experience thanks to the carillon instrument in the Campanile. In the fall of 2025, a new bell joined in the melody, marking the beginning of the UNI Sesquicentennial Celebration period and ushering in a new tradition.
A new tradition for UNI
The Sesquicentennial Bell is now permanently installed on the Campanile Plaza, ready to become a cherished touchpoint of the student experience.
The bell’s clapper will be absent from the bell for most of the year, but students are still encouraged to rub the bell for good luck, especially before finals. The clapper will be re-installed during the first week of classes and finals week each semester, transforming the bell into a powerful voice of celebration. Students are invited to “ring in” their UNI experiences at the start of their UNI journey, while graduating seniors will “ring out” their chapters as students and enter their alumni eras.
A commemorative bell crafted with the help of campus
During Homecoming 2022, the Verdin Company came to campus to begin renovations to the Campanile. This included bringing a bell foundry on wheels to cast 10 bells, nine for the Campanile’s carillon and one for commemorative purposes. Those who were present for the fanfare may recall playing a part in crafting this instrument by passing ingots of brass that were melted down to create the bell.
The 10th bell — the Sesquicentennial Bell — made its grand re-entrance to campus to kick off Homecoming 2025 and the Sesquicentennial celebration. After the dedication of the bell, the Panther community joined to together to ring the inaugural chimes, marking a powerful moment of pride and the creation of a new campus tradition.
