Murchison Tower

In 1964 the T. Frank Murchison Memorial Tower, which holds the Carolyn Calvert Bells, became a campus landmark.

T. Frank Murchison was co-chair of the original Trinity Building Committee and influential in the decision to move Trinity to its current campus. The tower was one of countless buildings designed by architect O’Neil Ford but is universally considered the most iconic building on campus, being featured on logos and promotional materials.

At 166 feet tall—and placed on one of the highest spots on Trinity’s skyline campus—the apex of the tower gives visitors an unparallelled view of surrounding San Antonio. At one time the highest point in San Antonio, the building would also serve as a spiritual predecessor to Ford’s work on the San Antonio Tower of the Americas.

The tower has also grown to play a central role in student life and traditions.

In the 1990s, the Playfair/Tower Party held at the beginning of every school year opened up a official opportunity for students to climb Murchison Tower.

The move, made by Trinity President John Brazil, was meant to establish a closer relationship with students and indicated a desire to give them a wider role in university governance. As a symbolic first step, he climbed the Murchison Tower during the annual first-year orientation Tower Party and greeted the students who also chose to make the climb.

Since then, students have regularly been greeted at the top by each Trinity president, including Danny Anderson.