For the 2021–2022 year, listen for the newly dedicated, Lou Henry Hoover carillon as the bells ring in celebration of Hoover Tower’s 80th year and in the spirit of welcoming the Stanford community back to campus. The carillon serenades will be played by Stanford carillonneur, Dr. Timothy Zerlang.
Current schedule:
4:45 pm – 5:15 pm on the second Thursday of the month
• October 14
• November 11
• December 9
ABOUT HOOVER TOWER & The Carillon
Commissioned by Herbert Hoover and dedicated on June 20, 1941, the Tower was built to house rare library and archival materials held by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives. Serving as a “North Star” for the Stanford campus, the Tower also serves as a gathering space, where visitors can enjoy the gallery spaces featuring special items from Hoover’s collections. Located on the 14th floor, is the carillon—a gift from the Belgian-American Education Foundation—which symbolizes an overall purpose to promote peace and personal freedom and to foster ideas that strengthen a free society.
The newly dedicated, Lou Henry Hoover carillon, included thirty-five (now forty-eight) bells tuned to play three chromatic octaves and a wooden bench and clavier (resembling a piano with handles instead of keys) for playing the carillon manually. In addition, was a large, electrically driven drum for playing automatically. The bourdon (largest) bell bore the inscription "For Peace Alone Do I Ring," which Hoover felt captured the purpose of his library.
For more on the history of the Hoover Carillon, click here.
