The Bells of Iowa State were donated to the university by Edgar W. Stanton, who graduated with the first class in 1872. Including his years as a student, Stanton spent half a century on campus, becoming a faculty member, head of the Department of Mathematics, secretary of the board of trustees, dean of the junior college, vice president, and, on four different occasions, acting president.

Read more about the history of the carillon or deep dive into renovations from the early 1990s. There is even a folklore and traditions surrounding the carillon for guests to read about!