For generations, Longhorns have celebrated milestones, victories, academic achievements and even love stories beneath the Tower. This UT landmark lives in the dreams of future students and in the memories of Longhorns past and present. As you would expect, Longhorns love to talk about the Tower. Here are a few Tower memories shared by alumni and friends:
“The Tower can be anything to anyone, and that’s the beauty of it. It can be a place to sit and reflect, it can be a place to reminisce. You may walk by it and just get a glimpse and say, ‘I am home.’”
— Marcie Zlotnik, co-chair of Our Tower: The Next 100 Years, BBA ’83
“I first came to the Tower in June 1967 when I was 14. My mother returned to school to earn her master’s in library science and attended UT for three summers, graduating in 1969. My sister and I went to the Tower every day, and the elevator operator let us ride to the top to see the view of Austin.
“We spent our mornings at the University Junior High Summer Enrichment Program and our afternoons exploring campus. UT was our playground. Now you need special permission to access the top of the Tower.
“I later attended UT and earned two degrees. I was blessed to have had that experience.”
— Lael Hasty, B.A. ’79
“I always knew I would go to The University of Texas. That’s how I was raised. When I was in middle school in 1978, I made a clay replica of the Tower for my dad for Christmas. Texas was in the Cotton Bowl that year, and my dad was so proud of his gift that he displayed it in his law office in Fort Worth’s Bank One Tower.
“When the March 2000 tornado tore through that building, tearing out 80% of the windows, the top of my little Tower was lopped off, but the pieces were found and my mother repaired it. When my father passed away, the 12-inch replica of the Tower was displayed at his memorial service. The Tower means family to me.”
— Debra McKeown, Journalism ’89
“Many times, after working in the Stacks, I would go up to the top of the Tower to take a break from my studies. Our campus was so small at that time that we just walked from building to building and enjoyed looking up at our wondrous Tower and hearing the chimes to know what time it was. That was just so awesome. I depended on the clock so I would not be late to class. When I think about it, I can still hear the chimes ring every hour and every 15 minutes. There are not enough words to express how meaningful the Tower was to me then.”
— Alicia Mercado-Castro, Ph.D. ’90
The University is proud to honor the Tower’s legacy with the launch of the Our Tower: The Next 100 Years restoration project. You can join this once-in-a-lifetime effort to restore, revitalize and reimagine our Tower for future generations. Make your gift today.
Do you have a favorite Tower memory? Please share it with us.
