The University Record, January 15, 2001
Ringing through the mist
Though under renovation,
Burton Tower still serves as home to one of two University carillons.
The tower is named for former U-M President Marion Leroy Burton. The
Charles Baird Carillon in Burton Tower is the third heaviest in the world,
containing 55 bells that were cast in 1936 and 1975 by the John Taylor &
Co. Bellfoundry in Loughborough, England. The carillon is named after
Charles Baird, a former athletic director who donated it, and was
dedicated with Burton Tower in 1936. The carillon’s largest bell
weighs 12 tons, and the smallest weighs 21 pounds. They hang on a
framework 120 feet above the ground.
Recitals can be heard from the Charles Baird Carillon noon–12:30 p.m. weekdays and 10:15–10:45 a.m. Saturday. Recitals also are given 1–1:30 p.m. weekdays and 1:15–2 p.m. Sunday at Lurie Tower on North Campus, home to the 60-bell Lurie Carillon. Both buildings are open to the public for self-guided tours during these times.
Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services
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for special issue photo.
