Texas A&M’s Liberty Bell replica to be relocated during Academic Building renovation
The bell will be moved to the James A. Baker, III Pavilion at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center, where it can be viewed by the public for free
Tucked inside one of the most iconic and recognizable buildings on Texas A&M University’s main campus is a replica of the Liberty Bell. The bell, which hangs in the rotunda of the Academic Building, will be relocated during the renovation of the Academic Building’s exterior to ensure it is protected and remains on display.
The restoration is slated to begin in June. For the duration of the project, the Texas Liberty Bell will temporarily relocate to the James A. Baker, III Pavilion on West Campus at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center. Entrance to the Baker Pavilion is free with public access for visitors to view the bell during opening hours.
This opportunity is extended to the university by the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, allowing the bell to remain viewable by students, the university community and visitors free of charge in time for the nation’s semiquincentennial and the university’s sesquicentennial celebrations.
With work set to begin on the Academic Building in June, a temporary stand will be built to accommodate the yoke of the Liberty Bell replica as is, allowing this meaningful piece of Texas A&M’s history to be back on display at the Baker Pavilion by July 4.
The Texas Liberty Bell dates back to 1950, when the United States Department of the Treasury had 55 full-sized replicas of the Liberty Bell cast as gifts to U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia, to be displayed and rung on patriotic occasions. While many states decided to place their replicas in their capitol buildings, Texas Governor Allan Shivers entrusted the state’s replica to Texas A&M at an Independence Day ceremony in recognition of Aggie service during World War II.
Accepting the bell on behalf of Texas A&M was President Marion T. Harrington, Class of 1922 and the first former student to hold the office. “As a loyal A&M man, naturally I feel that Gov. Shivers has made a wise choice in selecting A&M College as a location for the bell, for many other schools and cities requested it,” he told the crowd that day.
