The Varsity Bell (also called the Denny Bell) is a large

bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

that, as of 2016, is installed in the cupola of

Denny Hall Denny Hall is a building on the main campus of the University of Washington, in Seattle, Washington, United States. Built between 1894 and 1895, it is named after Arthur A. Denny. Design Denny Hall was designed by Charles Saunders and constructe ...

at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

. The bell was cast in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany, New York, Albany. At the ...

in 1861 and purchased by the Territorial University of Washington for $368. It was shipped to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, around the

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

, to be installed in the original building of the university in 1862. After installation, its first ringing was conducted by Clarence Bagley on March 19, 1862. During its service at the Territorial University, the bell was rung to announce the start of classes and also used to sound citywide alert at other critical moments: it solemnly tolled to mark the announcement of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

's assassination; during the riot of 1886 it was used to call-out the

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

; three years later it was rung to sound the alarm at the start of the

Great Seattle Fire The Great Seattle Fire was a fire that destroyed the entire central business district of Seattle, Washington, on June 6, 1889. The conflagration lasted for less than a day, burning through the afternoon and into the night, during the same summer ...

. When the University relocated from its original downtown site to its current location in the 1890s, the bell was moved and installed in the new campus' first building, Denny Hall. From 1996 to 2005, the bell was removed from Denny Hall for restoration work. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the bell has typically been rung only once annually, during

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...

. From 1961, until his death in 2013,

Brewster Denny Brewster Castberg Denny (1924 - June 22, 2013) was an American academic from Seattle, Washington, known for his long association with the University of Washington. Early life and education The great-great-grandson of Seattle founder Arthur A. De ...

was responsible for the annual ringing of the bell. Since then, the bell has been rung by Denny's daughter.

Notes

References

{{University of Washington, state=collapsed Individual bells in the United States University of Washington

See also

Notes

References