During my time at Andover, I’ve witnessed countless times the indifferent nature of students toward the campus and its structures. I admit, for a time, I was guilty of this common theme, of being detached from the rich history that rests upon every building I take lessons in. Too many times have I been more focused on making it to class on time, unaware of the beautiful campus and timeless structures I have the privilege of encountering every day.
One such structure is the clock tower, a structure whose significance I’ve only recently come to understand upon the conclusion of my winter term history paper, which concerned the tower’s completion during the post-World War I era. Since then, I’ve realized that few are educated on its relation to Andover’s effort during the war. Many merely see it as a landmark, unaware that the tower was built as a memorial for the Andover alumni who sacrificed themselves on the front lines. By becoming aware of the history of this structure, I believe that the student body would better understand the significance of our school’s values.
During the peak of the conflict of WWI, The Phillipian recounted the effort and impact the institution had on the war, how Andover swiftly created numerous training programs, and sent the Andover Ambulance Unit to France within weeks of U.S. entry into the war. In the aftermath of World War I, Phillips Academy Andover emerged as an institution physically and spiritually reshaped by sacrifice, patriotism, and the phrase Non sibi, a phrase crystallized by those whose lives were lost. The school expanded and developed physically, adding hundreds of extra acres, a direct result of the war and the school’s prominence following it. But most notably, the construction of the campus bell tower became a result of the war, a result of the sacrifice of the school.
The tower, constructed in 1923 and designed by architect Gus Lowell, stands 159 feet tall and is dedicated to the 87 alumni killed in the war. Mr. Fuller, a 1894 graduate who donated $75,000 for the construction of the tower, states in Mr. Fuller’s Address that “This Tower shall rise…as a sign to the many Phillips boys to come of the heroism and idealism of those other Phillips graduates and undergraduates who made the supreme sacrifice in order that the ideals and teachings of this school should live. May the chimes that will each day peal forth this Tower repeat forever those sacred principles…for which our school has always stood and shall forever stand” (Fuess, The Phillips Bulletin, p. 274). Today, the tower does just that. The tower is often the first structure visible upon entering campus, a symbol to new students of the sacrifices that were made, sacrifices that so deeply shaped the school. As Mr. Fuller states, the tower stands to “Pay honor to those many sons of Phillips who laid down their lives in the Great War” (Fuess, The Phillips Bulletin, p. 274).
It is also worth noting the tower’s placement on the old training grounds. In the context of its placement, the tower is both a monument to those who died, Andover’s past dedication in serving the country, and a daily reminder of the war’s cost. Most importantly, it is a physical embodiment of the phrase non sibi.” The tower represents the supreme sacrifice made by countless alumni in the war, whose lives were lost for the good of millions. What greater embodiment of not for self” than this?
The tower is one of many examples of the rich history that is present on the 250-year-old Andover grounds. What I hope for the future is for students to be mindful of the history of this astounding campus. The tower is proof that a better understanding of history is a better understanding of the school’s values, and therefore a better understanding of the school itself.
