On a brilliantly sunny, picture-perfect Feb. 7 afternoon, Stetson dedicated its historically rebuilt Hulley Tower in a robust observance of heritage. Hundreds of alumni, students, faculty and staff, and community members gathered on campus and surrounded the 116-foot monument as part of the Hulley Tower Day of Celebration.

The day was a grand and festive ode to the university’s past, present and future that included emotional speeches of both remembrance and remarkable spirit, and even a horse-drawn New Orleans–style processional accompanied by music from the student jazz band (407Groove) and members of the West Volusia Historical Society wearing period clothing. Here is the link to the livestream video.

The scene was one for the ages. Actually, it was 91 years in the making, dating back to the original dedication of Hulley Tower in 1935. Later, the tower’s namesake, former Stetson President Lincoln Hulley (1904-1934) and wife, Eloise, were interred there — making Hulley Tower the oldest freestanding bell tower on an American college campus with a mausoleum at its base.

Also, the scene was 47 years, 21 years and three years in the making.

In 1979, during a study abroad trip of 40 Stetson students to Innsbruck, Austria, an avalanche took the lives of students Katy Resnik, Scotty Fenlon and Dennis Long. The tower serves as a stoic and soulful reminder. In 2005, after the carillon bells had rang for decades, essentially marking the cadence of life on campus, significant hurricane damage forced the tower’s selective demolition, leaving only the mausoleum intact at its base.

Then, in 2023, a $6.7 million alumni-led, grassroots campaign was launched to reconstruct Hulley — bolstered in part by a $500,000 historic preservation grant from the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida — as alumni sought a memorial at Stetson to remember their three friends. The Soul of Stetson movement was born, uniting alumni as well as current students across the generations (with nearly 700 donors), which brought a February 2025 groundbreaking for the historic reconstruction.

One year later, on a day that could be described as sent by the heavens, the feeling was “surreal.”

Those were the words of Amy Gipson, who was among the first speakers on stage. Officially, Gipson is Stetson’s senior associate vice president for Brand Development, Strategy, and External Affairs. The Hulley Tower effort, however, far eclipsed that role. Like for so many others, this was an affair of the heart.

Gipson continued: “Hulley Tower encapsulates the history of Stetson — a vision of Lincoln and Eloise Hulley, and the university’s relationship with the town it calls home, since 1883. It’s about the legacy of J. Ollie Edmunds, carried forward by his descendants. 

“Hulley Tower also stands as a symbol of life’s tribulations — hurricanes, an avalanche — and resilience, love and grace that happen afterward as we come together in community. Whether you are dwarfed in the magnificence of the Austrian Alps, standing at the base of Hulley Tower or surrounded by your best friends on Palm Court, you know you are part of something larger than yourself.

“Hulley Tower is bricks, stone and steel … and so much more.”

Gipson was followed by many other on the stage in front of Hulley Tower. Not a complete list, the speakers included Jessica Davis MEd ’21, the City of DeLand’s vice mayor; Jep Barbour ’79 JD ’82 and Karen Schmitt Roberts ’80, Soul of Stetson Committee co-chairs; Lukas Taurins ’26, Stetson Innsbruck Society president; Scott Thacker, Stetson’s associate vice president of Facilities Management; and Jill Jinks ’79, Susan Perry Brockway ’79 and Mildred Cross Spalding ’77-’79. Roberts, Jinks, Brockway and Spalding were on Seegrube Mountain all those years ago. The speeches were passionate, riveting, touching.

Emotions ran high throughout the entire day, which began with the joy of an On-Campus Fun Run. Later that morning near the bookstore, Diane Erickson ’74 signed works of art: a painted watercolor of Hulley Tower. Erickson also taught Stetson students in Innsbruck and is an adjunct business professor.

“One of the most wonderful things about rebuilding Hulley Tower is bringing back a lot of people who’ve been disconnected from the university,” Erickson said. “I have loved this experience of getting in touch with people. … There was always a passion to bring back the bells, to hear that music again.”

Prior to the ceremony, at a reception for the student-run Stetson Innsbruck Society, Karen Schmitt Roberts reflected on Jan. 15, 1979. She was on an airlift chair, going up the mountain to ski, directly behind Scotty Fenlon and Dennis Long. Fatefully, she was delayed in following them. “I always said to myself, ‘Did I hear something? Did I have to adjust my skis?’ You wonder to yourself all those years, why were you not going down the mountain at that exact second?” she said.

As it turned out, she had stopped to take a spontaneous group photo, although she never remembered. An instant later, tragedy struck.

A fellow student, Laurie Messer Baker, had record of the photo in a journal she kept. As the Soul of Stetson effort took hold, Roberts learned about the photo being taken. “And at that moment,” Roberts explained, “that’s when we looked up and started seeing snow and a rumble and something didn’t seem quite right. Had she not had that camera and wanted to be in a picture, I would not be here today because I would have just been going right on down the mountain. All these years, I never knew why I stopped.”

Notably, the Innsbruck Summer Program, which began in 1997, has seen more than 1,000 students participate since 2001. Continuing tradition, and in remembrance of the past, students will return to Innsbruck this summer.

Stetson has not forgotten.

Today, Hulley Tower stands again as a living memorial and a testament to resilience, legacy and the enduring bond of the Stetson community.

Stated Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD: “Hulley Tower is part of the heart and history of Stetson, a place that connects generations and calls our community together.”

-Michael Candelaria

Hulley Tower and Its Surrounding Landscape

• Hulley Tower was historically reconstructed to its original 116-foot height, anchored 56 feet underground and rising skyward by virtue of approximately 22,000 bricks. The tower and surroundings are designed to be a reflective and joyous gathering place.
• At the heart of Hulley Tower’s renewal is its magnificent 52-bell carillon. The bells, weighing a total of 7,774 pounds, were cast at the Grassmayr Bell Foundry in Innsbruck by 14th-generation bellmakers. Grassmayr is one of the world’s oldest bell foundries, dating back to 1599. The Cincinnati-based Verdin Company, a premier bell and clock manufacturer since 1842, installed the carillon system, including the digital technology that allows the instrument to be programmed, played remotely and performed live using a keyboard.
• The Edmunds Historical Memorial faces Woodland Boulevard. It’s made possible by Jane Edmunds Novak and Wayne Novak in honor of her parents, former Stetson President J. Ollie Edmunds (1947-1967; Class of 1925 alumnus) and First Lady Emily Bryant Edmunds. Three Eloise Chimes have been incorporated into this memorial, honoring the impetus behind the restoration. The east side of the memorial features a plaque that recognizes all members of the Stetson community lost while they were students since the university’s founding in 1883.
• Brockway Plaza, made possible by Susan Perry Brockway ’79 and Peter Brockway ’78, welcomes outdoor music concerts, student gatherings, the annual Yule Log lighting, and more as a space for community and connection.
• Mimi’s Firepit, made possible by the family and friends of Mildred Cross Spalding ’77-’79, a survivor of the 1979 Innsbruck avalanche, features a built-in gas fireplace and seating.
• The Hulley Storytelling Hub contains the Patricoff Water Bell, sitting in the south lobby of the Carlton Union Building, with a view of Hulley Tower. The bell is an upside-down Eloise Chime filled with water. When struck with a mallet, it inspires a full sensory musical experience — sound, sight and vibration — and will soon be the center of student tradition and revelry. The bell is made possible by Harold (Ed) Patricoff Jr. ’82 JD ’85, along Nelea Patricoff ’22 and Nicholas Patricoff ’22.
• Coming in May 2026 to this space is a wall-mounted interactive display screen that honors donors and showcases Hulley Tower’s reconstruction. Also, it shares stories of the bells, the 1979 avalanche and the Soul of Stetson documentary. A watercolor of the Colorful Houses of Innsbruck hangs nearby, courtesy of artist Diane Erickson ’74.

Other Photo Albums

Hulley Tower Day of Celebration — Fun Run

Hulley Tower Day of Celebration — Innsbruck Society Reception

Hulley Tower Day of Celebration — The Patricoff Water Bell | Spring 2026