Stanton Memorial Carillon

The Edgar W. and Margaret McDonald Stanton Memorial Carillon is located in the Campanile, built in 1899 to house a chime of 10 bells given to the school by Edgar W. Stanton. Edgar Stanton was a graduate of Iowa State earning a B.S degree in 1872 and a M.S degree in 1887. He was a member of the first graduating class of 1872 and was the first individual to receive a diploma from Iowa State. He, therefore, has the distinction of being the Iowa Alpha member with the earliest graduation date. He was Professor of Mathematics from 1872 until 1920 and Head of the Mathematics Department from 1876 to 1920. He was also Acting President of Iowa State four times (1890-91, 1902-03, 1910-13, and 1917-18). Upon his death in 1920, his bequest to Iowa State financed the installation of 26 more bells in the carillon and the Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation has added a further 14 bells since 1954. Stanton House in North Friley Hall and Ames’ Stanton Avenue are also named in Edgar Stanton’s honor. (Edgar W. Stanton was initiated into Tau Beta Pi as a member of the Class of 1872 by Iowa Alpha on May 4, 1916)