Tech Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building |
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Exterior in 2004
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| Former names | Administration Building Academic Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian and Romanesque Revival |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Address | 225 North Avenue NW |
| Coordinates | 33°46′20″N 84°23′41″W / 33.772356°N 84.394838°W |
| Current tenants | Administration |
| Construction started | June 1887 |
| Completed | September 1888 |
| Owner | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 130 feet (40 m) wide 120 feet deep |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 (main complex) 7 (tower) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Bruce & Morgan |
| Main contractor | Angus McGilvray |
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Tech Tower
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Part of | Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District (ID78000983) |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1978 |
The Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, often called Tech Tower, is a very old and important building. It is a main part of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) campus in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Built in 1888, it was first known as the Academic Building. It had classrooms for students to learn alongside their hands-on training. This was the second building finished on the Georgia Tech campus. It is the oldest one still standing today.
Tech Tower is important for its history and culture. Many plaques and monuments around the building honor people who helped Georgia Tech. The building is made of red brick in the Victorian style. It is the main building in the Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District. It is a symbol of school spirit and where the school's main offices are now. Many important events have happened here. This includes a visit from U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It was also named after Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans, who gave a lot of money to the school.
Big lighted signs spelling TECH are on all four sides of the seven-story tower. You can see them from many parts of the campus and nearby areas. Georgia Tech students have sometimes taken the letter 'T' from these signs. This used to be allowed as a prank, but now it is strictly forbidden.
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History of Tech Tower
In 1887, the state of Georgia bought land for the new Georgia School of Technology. This land was used for its first two buildings. The state hired famous architects Bruce & Morgan. They designed an Academic Building and a Shop Building. The Academic Building had classrooms, offices, and a library. The Shop Building had areas for hands-on training like wood and machine shops.
Both buildings had towers and similar designs. Their names showed that the school valued both theory (learning ideas) and practice (doing things). Construction started in June 1887. The Academic Building was finished in September 1888. The Shop Building was finished soon after. But it burned down in 1892. It was rebuilt without a tower. Because of this, the Academic Building, now Tech Tower, became the oldest building on campus. It still holds this title today.
On October 20, 1905, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited Georgia Tech. He gave a speech about how important engineering education was. He spoke on the steps of Tech Tower. After his speech, he shook hands with all 500 students there.
The Georgia Tech Class of 1922 put the famous TECH signs on the tower in 1918. This is how the building got its nickname. The students wanted the signs to "light the spirit of Tech to the four points of the compass." The first signs were made of wood and painted white and gold. Later, lightbulbs were added to make them brighter. In 1949, neon lights were put into metal frames.
In 1978, Tech Tower and the land around it became part of the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historic site. A Georgia historical marker near the entrance tells about the building's early history.
On May 22, 1998, Tech Tower was officially renamed the Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building. This was done in a special ceremony. Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans never went to Georgia Tech. But she gave over $340 million to the school through her foundation. She was a very generous supporter.
Tech Tower has been used since 1888. This means it needs regular care and updates. It was updated a lot in 1965. The inside was changed to make more office space. The library and chapel were replaced. Later, in 1987, a project began to restore the outside. New copper roof tiles were added. More work was done in 2000 to improve the outside and the surrounding area. This made it more friendly for people walking around. In 2015-2016, more updates were done. These cost $7.5 million. They made the building safer and more energy-efficient.
Building Design and Look
Tech Tower is built in the Victorian style. It also has parts of Romanesque Revival design. The building is about 130 feet wide and 120 feet deep. It is mostly made of red brick with granite details. The roof was originally terra cotta. It was later changed to copper shingles. The main part of the building has four stories plus a basement. The tower itself is seven stories tall. It has the four lighted TECH signs on top.
The main entrance has a small staircase and a porch. This porch forms the base of the tower. Most windows are simple rectangles. But the windows on the third floor are arched. The building sits on top of a hill with trees. This makes it look even bigger than it is.
What's Around Tech Tower
Since Tech Tower is the oldest building, many interesting things are around it. Two walkways go around the building. One is called Tower Walk. There is a marble drinking fountain from 1911. It was the first class memorial. There are also marble benches. They were given by the Class of 1925 to remember those who died in World War I. Another bench remembers Paul Howes Norcross, a Georgia Tech graduate who died in a boat accident.
The headstone of Sideways the dog is near the back entrance. Sideways was a famous campus dog. There is also a sign telling about Tech Tower's early history. A staircase connects Tech Tower to another building nearby. Finally, a steam-powered air compressor, called the "steam engine," sits on the hill. It reminds everyone of the school's industrial past.
How Tech Tower is Used Today
Tech Tower is mainly used for school administration. This means it has offices for managing the school. It holds the Office of the Registrar, which handles student records. It also has offices for planning and space management. The deans of the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences have offices here too.
Tech Tower is a famous symbol of Georgia Tech. It is also a symbol of higher education in Atlanta. You often see it in school marketing and on merchandise. Its shape is recognized all over the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Tower, Georgia Tech's student research journal, is named after it. The Kessler Campanile, a bell tower on campus, was designed to look like a modern Tech Tower. The campanile is now in all Georgia Tech logos.
The 'T' Stealing Tradition
Students have often stolen the large, symbolic letter 'T' from the TECH signs on Tech Tower. The 'T' is usually returned during the halftime of the homecoming football game. This act is then celebrated. The tradition says the first 'T' to be stolen should be the one facing east. This is because it is easiest to see from the nearby highway. The students who steal the 'T' often use fun, secret names.
Famous 'T' Thefts
The 'T' was first stolen in April 1969. A secret group of students called the "Magnificent Seven" did it. They were inspired by a similar prank at Harvard University. They did it to celebrate the retirement of the school president. The 'T' was returned a few days later by helicopter.
On November 6, 1997, students tried to steal the 'T's from three sides of the tower. They used tools and climbing gear. But the students were caught by campus police. The stolen 'T' was found in a car. Each student had to pay for the damage. The 'T' was put back on January 31, 1998.
One of the most dramatic 'T' thefts happened in the summer of 1999. The 'T' from the north side was stolen on June 3, 1999. The students who did it wrote a letter to the school newspaper. They described how they lowered the 'T' with a rope. They also sent a photo of the 'T' "on vacation" in West Virginia. They said they would return the 'T' during the Homecoming Parade. But the school said they would punish anyone who stole the 'T'. So, the 'T' is still hidden somewhere.
The replacement 'T' on the north side was stolen on May 28, 2001. Three students were caught trying to remove it. The removal set off an alarm. Two students were suspended from school. In October 2005, a copy of the 'T' was stolen from another building. It was returned two days later.
On March 18, 2014, the north-facing 'T' was stolen again. The student who took it admitted what he did. He was suspended from school. He also had to pay a large fee for the damage. A friend created a fundraiser to help him pay.
The tradition of stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower has led to similar pranks. In 2006, during a Georgia Tech football game against NC State, a 'T' went missing from their banner. Many believed Georgia Tech students did it. After a 2012 football game with Virginia Tech, a 'T' was taken from their stadium sign. It was later dropped off at the Georgia Tech Police Department. The Georgia Tech president returned it to Virginia Tech with an apology.
Other 'T' thefts have happened on the Georgia Tech campus. In 2001, students stole 32 'T's from signs on 16 campus buildings. They were upset about being moved from their dorm during renovations. In 2006, small 'T' stickers were stolen from signs. This made it hard for visitors to find their way. The student government said these thefts cost the school over $100,000 from 2010–11. They said that only stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower was the true tradition.
School's Response to 'T' Thefts
The school's view on stealing the 'T' has changed over time. When it was first stolen in 1969, the president was very upset. Later presidents sometimes ignored the prank. One president even said he liked it.
Today, stealing the 'T' is not allowed. Students can be expelled for it, though this has not happened. After a visitor died climbing another building in 1999, the school president banned climbing any building. This was to prevent accidents and damage. To stop climbing, security features were added to the 'T'. These include special roof tiles and alarms.
In 2011, the Georgia Tech Student Government started a "Keep the 'T' in Tech" campaign. This was to stop 'T' thefts from other campus signs. The campaign included a petition and an event to talk about the true tradition. They also had an "amnesty day" for returning stolen 'T's.
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