The Tower Bell was bought and placed in the Tower of Blanchard Hall(then Main Building) in 1872 to go along with the new additions thatwere being made at the same time. The bell, made that same year by theMeneely Bell Foundry in Troy, New York, replaced the cracked bell thathad been hanging in the Main Building. The money to pay for the belltotaled $500 and was raised by students with the idea that “the newbuilding was entitled to a new bell.” Inscribed on the side of theTower Bell is Wheaton’s motto in Latin: Christo et Regno Ejus. Duringthe lifetime of the bell it has seen many uses and varying opinions asto its use. Originally the bell served to wake people in the morning,alert them of meals, call the students to chapel, and mark every classduring the day. The bell was also tolled for Sunday church services andfunerals as well as being used to alert students and townspeople offires. The use of the bell later changed in the words of PresidentEdman from “the academic to the more interesting” as by the 1930’s thebell was being rung for victories by the Crusaders as well as by thenewly engaged. The beginnings of the going “up the tower” tradition isunknown, yet it still holds today with a newly engaged couple ringingthe bell for three sets of seven, and a newly wed couple ring sevensets of three.

In 1943, Christian Council president, Billy Graham, promoted the ringing of the bell at 5 pm to remind college and townspeople to pray for servicemen. He said, "Previously, the only way of remembering them was by scattered efforts in various different groups as individual prayer requests came in. Now a regular remembrance of intercession for them is encouraged by this daily angelus" (Wheaton Alumni News, May-June 1943, p. 2).