Campus Once Again Hears the Sounds of Chimes

What's that you hear across campus? Once again, chimes and tunes are playing to note the hour and quarter hour at Cal State Fullerton.

Thanks to a gift from campus supporter Bill McGarvey, a new state-of-the-art carillon system, manufactured by San Diego-based Maas-Rowe, was installed in mid-May. The system, located in the Pollak Library, plays a selection of holiday, classical, patriotic and Broadway tunes along with chimes.

“This returns the classical sound to our campus that has been associated with universities for centuries,” said President Milton A. Gordon.

The carillon — which looks like a miniature organ — features a compact disc player, a 250-watt amplifier and four 60-watt waterproof speakers that have been mounted on the library roof. Similar Maas-Rowe systems have been installed on eight sister California State University campuses, as well as at neighboring Southern California College of Optometry and other institutions of higher education.

Cal State Fullerton's original carillon system was installed in 1976 and, like the new system, played Westminster chimes every quarter hour along with musical tunes. That system operated for more than 20 years.