Alumni Memories

Alfred M. Janssen

Farm Operations, B.S., 1958

Alfred M. Janssen

In 1955, I was in my second year at Iowa State. I was able to take several elective courses and that spring I was taking Music Appreciation. One of our guest lecturers was Ira Schroeder, the resident carillonneur, who enjoyed telling us how he played the bells in the campanile. His daily concerts were an integral and beautiful part of campus life. After class I approached Mr. Schroeder and asked if one day I could climb to the top of the campanile and watch while he was playing. He agreed and soon after I met him at the base of the campanile and we made our way to the area where he made that beautiful music.

I was overwhelmed when I saw the multiple cables that reached to the bells and the vastness of the “keyboard.” Mr. Schroeder spread sheet music over a six-foot panel in front of him and then he began to play. He used his fists as well as his feet and I realized I was witnessing a very talented musician. He turned to me when he had finished and with a big smile asked if I was ready to give it a try.

I also have some other memories of the campanile that affected students — especially the girls. There was an old tradition on campus that if you kissed a girl under the campanile she was then officially an Iowa State “coed.” The area under the campanile was rather small and some nights it became very crowded as many girls became “coeds.”

As I reflect back on that wonderful time, I still ask myself if there is a more beautiful campus in the world than central campus at Iowa State? When I would walk from Beardshear to Curtiss Hall on those glorious fall days with the music from the campanile playing, I remember thinking how fortunate I was to be a part of that environment.

I graduated in 1958 and my wife and I have often returned to the campus. As I glance over to the campanile I realize that it remains Iowa State’s most famous campus landmark and a beloved and nostalgic symbol of campus life.