Mueller Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mueller Tower |
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The Mueller Tower in 2015
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°49′12.5″N 96°42′09.3″W / 40.820139°N 96.702583°W |
| Completed | 1949 |
| Owner | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Height | 84 feet |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | George Kuska Jr. |
The Mueller Tower is a tall, historic tower on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was built in 1949. This special tower is named after Ralph S. Mueller, who was a student at the university.
Building the Tower
The Mueller Tower stands 84 feet tall. It was built using limestone from Indiana. A former student, Ralph S. Mueller, gave $90,000 to help build it. He was the founder of an electric company.
The tower was designed by George Kuska Jr. He was a student at the university when he created the design. Later, he became a professional architect. The building of the tower finished in 1949.
Dedication Day
The Mueller Tower was officially opened on November 4, 1949. About 2,000 people came to the dedication ceremony. Important people attended, including the university's Chancellor and President.
Also there was Professor Lynus Burr Smith, who led the Architecture department. Arthur Lynds Bigelow, a famous carillon player, was also present. The architect, George Kuska Jr., and Mr. Mueller with his family were there too.
Tower Repairs
In 2006, parts of the limestone began to fall off the tower. Because of this, the university had to block off the area around it. At that time, the university did not have enough money to fix it.
The Mueller Tower had become a very well-known building on campus. University officials promised to repair it soon.
How the Music Plays
The Mueller Tower does not have traditional bells inside. Instead, it has eight speakers that play music. These speakers can broadcast recorded songs or live music. Ralph Mueller, who worked with electronics, liked the idea of an electronic music system.
At first, a person played music on a keyboard inside the tower. Later, tape recordings were used instead. In 1985, a student would still play the keyboard before football games. Today, a special machine called an Embassy Digital Autobell Carillon plays the pre-recorded music.
The tower has also been used to mark special events. For example, on December 4, 1996, it marked the 16th anniversary of a global health awareness day. As of 2015, the system plays music randomly. It plays music at the top of the hour and 23 minutes past the hour.
