University of Arizona
UA History
The University of Arizona came into being in a time when college education was neither common nor a high priority. Classes met for the first time in 1891 with 32 students and six teachers. The first two colleges, Agriculture and Mines, held classes in the university's only building -- Old Main -- which is still in use today. UA History Tour.
UA Traditions
Traditions make Wildcats feel at home on campus and generate lifelong UA pride. Singing Bear Down, painting "A" Mountain, ringing the USS Arizona bell and many other customs bind Wildcats together as family. Learn about UA's history, its unique traditions and "Bear Down, Arizona!"
UA Traditions Tour
Ringing of the USS Arizona Bell
The preservation of the U.S.S. Arizona bell in this tower is dedicated to the memory of the men who lost their lives on the battleship Arizona in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
This bell is one of the two original bells salvaged from the U.S.S. ARIZONA in 1941. In 1944, Wilber L. Bill Bowers, UA Class of 1927, discovered this bell about to be melted down at the Puget Sound Naval Yard in Bremerton, Washington. Bowers saved the bell from destruction and was instrumental in acquiring the bell for the University of Arizona shortly after World War II.
The bell arrived on campus in July 1946. On November 17, 1951 the bell was rung for the first time in the clock tower of the then-new Student Union Memorial Building. The bell was rung on special occasions for the next 50 years until that clock tower and Student Union were razed to make way for the present day facility completed in 2002.
The bell was installed in this clock tower on August 16, 2002. Bill Bowers, at the age of 99, was given the honor of ringing the bell for the first time in its new belfry on September 11, 2002. This bell is to be rung seven times on the third Wednesday of every month at 12:07 p.m. to honor the achievements of the University of Arizona and its community.
The other original bell is on display at the U.S.S. ARIZONA Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Spring Fling
Spring Fling has been a UA tradition since 1975. It started with just 20 booths and a handful of carnival rides. Today, Spring Fling has grown to include more than 25 carnival rides. It is the largest student run carnival in the U.S. and the largest campus event at The University of Arizona. In 1997, more than 30,000 people attended Spring Fling's festivities.
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