Finding Aid for Altgeld Chimes Music and Records, 1903-2019 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Joshua Altshuler, Kou Chery, Sylvia Figueroa Ortiz, Kelda Habing, Mary Heisley, Naja Tia Morris, Katie Peterson, Meredith Sproull, Lee Whitacre, and Nolan Vallier

[Printer Friendly] | [ Email us about these records]

Collection Overview

Title: Altgeld Chimes Music and Records, 1903-2019Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 12/5/9

Primary Creator: Albert Emmett Marien (1911-2002)

Extent: 5.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: Chronological

Date Acquired: 11/09/2020. More info below under Accruals.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of papers, photographs, music, correspondence, and ephemera documenting the activities of the Altgeltd Chimes and its first chimesmaster, Albert Marien, ranging from 1903 to 2019. The collection is organized into three series. Series 1: Chimesmasters Personal Papers; Series 2: Administrative and Operational Records, and Series 3: Photographs and Memorabilia.

Collection Historical Note

The first set of chimes at the University of Illinois was installed in Altgeld Tower in 1920. The bells were cast by McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland and were the memorial gift of the senior classes from 1914 to 1922. When they were installed, the largest bell cast by the foundry weighed a little over one and half tons and was dedicated to Dr. Edmund Janes James, President of the University from 1904-1920. Between 1956 and 1957, the tower was renovated and the chimes remained silent. In 1957, Albert Emmett Marien approached the director of the School of Music, Duane Branigan, about performing on the chimes once more. In 1958, he and Branigan established a regular noon-time concert series in Altgeld Tower. For nearly forty years, Marien served as chimemaster. He was assisted by various undergraduate assistants and volunteers, who developed their own arrangements of popular and classical music for the chimes to perform on the daily concerts. In 1990, Marien began raising funds to transform the Altgeld chimes into a full carillon. After raising nearly $500,000 it was discovered the tower was not structurally sound enough to support the weight of additional bells. The University altered their plans and errected a campanile on the South Quad, a tower which remains to this day. Marien was followed as chimemaster by Sue Wood, who served from 1995 until 2017. Wood was replaced by Jonathon Smith, who served between 2017 and 2019. The current chimemaster, Christina Horton, has served since 2019.

Biographical Note

Albert "Al" Emmett Marien was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1911. He began his undergraduate studies at Washington University (St. Louis) but transferred the University of Illinois in 1931. He graduated with a degree in commerce and law in 1933. In 1942, he earned a masters degree in statistics and marketing at the University of Denver. The following year, he became a professor of Business Administration at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. It was here that Marien began performing on the College's electric carillon. In June 1948, he moved with his family to Champaign, Illinois, where he worked as a principal at Westview Elementary School. Soon after he was hired by the University of Illinois and became an instructor of marketing and advertising.

In 1956, the bell tower of Altgeld Hall was renovated. Marien approached the director of the School of Music, Duane Branigan, about his performance ability. In 1958, Marien became chime master and was performing two fifteen minute noon-hour concerts in Altgeld Tower each week. By 1959, he had persuaded his department to award two graduate assistantships to assist him in performing daily concerts in Altgeld. These assistantships were eventually dissolved and he instead sought the assistance of student volunteers.

Marien served as the University Chimemaster until 1995, when Sue Wood, his assistant, took over for him. In his three decades of service to the University, Marien contributed numerous articles to the American Guild of Carillioneurs. He was also instrumental in raising funds to upgrade the chimes to a full carillon. In 1990 and after raising nearly $500,000 for the upgrade, it was discovered that Altgeld Tower could not support the weight of the new bells. The University decided to construct a free standing campanile on the South Quad instead. Marien died before seeing the campanile constructed.

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: The Altgeld Chimes: Songs for Our Dear Old Illinois CD donated by the Music and Performing Arts Library on 9/18/2023.

Acquisition Source: Tina Horton, Chime Master

Acquisition Method: Transfer

Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Chimesmasters Personal Papers, 1963-2019],
[Series 2: Administrative and Operational Records, 1931-2019],
[Series 3: Photographs and Memorabilia, 1930-2017],
[All]

Series 1: Chimesmasters Personal Papers, 1963-2019Add to your cart.
Consists of personal papers of the Altgeld Chimes' chimesmasters, organized into two sub-series: Albert Marion's papers and Susan Woods's papers.
Sub-Series 1: Albert Marien's Personal PapersAdd to your cart.
Consists of Albert Marien's personal papers, which include the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America's bulletins, correspondence, financial records, and carillon restoration plans. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Guild of Carillonneurs in North America bulletins (Marien), 1963-1969Add to your cart.
Folder 2: 1964 Guild of Carilloneurs June 14-17 Conference (Marien), June 14 - 17 1964Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Guild of Carillonneurs in North America - Membership (Marien), 1965-1979Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Albert Marien's Correspondence, 1966-1981Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Albert Marien Expenses, 1967-1991Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Guild of Carillonneurs of North America bulletins (Marien), 1970-1975Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Carillon Expansion Project (Marien), 1975-1990Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Guild of Carillonneurs in North America Bulletins (Marien), 1976-1980Add to your cart.
Folder 9: International Carillion Congress - Amersfoort, 1978Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Guild of Carillonneurs of North America Bulletins (Marien), 1981-1987Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Peace Tower Summer Programs (Albert Marien), 1983-1997Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Carillon Newsletter of the Guild of in North America, Fall 1986 - October 1990Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Guild of Carillonneurs of North America Bulletins (Marien), 1988-1991Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Guild of Carillonneurs of North America Bulletins (Marien), 1992-1994Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Bicentennial Edition: "Who's who in America" (Marien), 2019Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 2: Susan Wood's Personal PapersAdd to your cart.
Consists of Susan Wood's awards, memorial service pamphlet, and correspondance Arranged chronologically.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Sue Wood's Correspondence, 1989-2015Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Sue Wood Memorial Service, November 10, 2019Add to your cart.
Series 2: Administrative and Operational Records, 1931-2019Add to your cart.
Consists of administrative and operational records of the Altgeld Chimes organized into three sub-series: Subseries 1: Concert Programs and Advertising; Subseries 2: Hymnals, Sheet Music, and Songbooks; Subseries 3: Adminstrative Records.
Sub-Series 1: Concert Programs and AdvertisingAdd to your cart.
Consists of Altgeld Chimes concert setlists, concert programs, information about the chimes' history, and news articles about the chimes. Within advertising and within concert programs, arranged chronologically.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 18: Newsclippings, November 24, 1959 - November 10, 2019Add to your cart.
Folder 19: Historical Informational Programs, June 17, 1966-November 10,2019Add to your cart.
Consists of historical pamplets, Altgeld Chimes concert brochures, and performance programs
Folder 20: Brief History of Altgeld Hall, September 1994Add to your cart.
Folder 21: Other Carillions in Illinois, June 25, 1996 - June 11, 2006Add to your cart.
Folder 22: University Web Articles, May 04, 2005-November 06, 2019Add to your cart.
Folder 23: Local, National Web Articles, September 9, 2007-November 8, 2019Add to your cart.
Folder 24: Promotional Documents, August 2019Add to your cart.
Folder 25: Fundrising, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 3Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Concert setlists, October 06, 1966-October 26, 1973Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Concert setlists, October 29, 1973-September 30, 1975Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Concert setlists, October 01, 1975-October 13, 1978Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Concert setlists, October 16, 1978-April 17, 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Concert setlists, April 18, 1980-January 15, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Concert setlists, January 18, 1982-June 28, 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Concert setlists, June 29, 1983-December 05, 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Concert setlists, December 05, 1984-February 18, 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Concert setlists, February 19, 1986-July 30, 1987Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Concert setlists, July 30, 1987-October 10, 1988Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Concert setlists, October 10, 1988-August 17, 1990Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Concert setlists, August 20, 1990-December 16, 1992Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Concert setlists, December 17, 1992-July 05, 1994Add to your cart.
Folder 18: Concert setlists, July 06, 1994-April 03, 1996Add to your cart.
Folder 19: Concert setlists, April 04, 1996-April 15, 1998Add to your cart.
Folder 20: Concert setlists, April 16, 1998-April 12, 2000Add to your cart.
Folder 21: Concert setlists, April 13, 2000-March 01, 2002Add to your cart.
Folder 22: Concert setlists, March 04, 2002-December 31, 2003Add to your cart.
Folder 23: Concert setlists, January 02, 2004-December 30, 2005Add to your cart.
Box 4Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Concert Setlists, January 02, 2006-January 20, 2008Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Concert Setlists, January 21, 2008-April 02, 2010Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Concert Setlists, April 05, 2010-February 20, 2012Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Concert Setlists, October 19, 2015-October 18, 2018Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Concert Setlists, October 19, 2018-November 20, 2019Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 2: Hymnals, Sheet Music, and SongbooksAdd to your cart.
Consists of Altgeld Chimes member notebooks, hymnals, songbooks, and carillion sheet music. Hymnals and loose sheet music and performer notebooks are arranged alphabetically. Oversized materials are in Box 8.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 29: The Cokesbury Worship Hymal, 1938Add to your cart.
Folder 30: Sheet Music: Cornell University, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 2Add to your cart.
Folder 8: The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 1940Add to your cart.
Folder 9: The Hymnbook, 1955Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Hymns for God's People, 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Lutheran Worship, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Songs of the Colleges, 1904Add to your cart.
Book
Folder 13: Sheet Music: St. James Anglican Church (Ont), undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: Union Hymnal, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 15: The United Methodist Hymnal, 1989Add to your cart.
Box 3Add to your cart.
Folder 1: University of Chicago Songbook, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 2: University of Illinois Songbook, 1912Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Wedding Music and Love Songs Arranged for the Altgeld Chimes, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: We Sing: A Singing School, 1953Add to your cart.
Box 6Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Performer notebook: John Buzard, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Performer notebook: M.Cain, B. Ihrig, D. Stybr, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Performer notebook: Paul R. Fetty, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Performer notebook: J. Henderson, C. Baker, B. Wilson, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Performer notebook: Jethro's Songbook, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Performer notebook: Lys K., undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Performer notebook: Marianne Kozlowski, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Performer notebook: Albert Emmett Marien, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: Performer notebook: Ken Marshall, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Performer notebook: Michael Robinson, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: Performer notebook: John Schaffer, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Performer notebook: Chas. Seldomrdge, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 13: Performer notebook: Paul Sims, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 7Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Performer notebook: Mike Wallace, 1984-1989Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Perforrmer notebook: Sue Wood Part 1 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Performer notebook: Sue Wood Part 2 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Performer notebook: Sue Wood Part 3 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Performer notebook: Karen Zink, 1999Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Performer notebook: performers unidentified Part 1 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Performer notebook: performers unidentified Part 2 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Performer notebook: performers unidentified Part 3 of 3, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 8Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Sheet Music for Carillon, 1951-1992Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Sheet Music: Christmas Carol Books, 1931-1947Add to your cart.
Folder 3: This Is the Ultimate Fake Book, 1981Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 3: Administrative RecordsAdd to your cart.
Consists of guestbooks listing visitors to Altgeld Chimes, the official chimes handbook for student players, and informational materials pertaining to chimes players' names, schedules, and contact information. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 26: A Manuel for Care of the Altgeld Hall Chimes, September 15, 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 27: Guestbooks, October 1995-November 1995Add to your cart.
Folder 28: Guestbooks, June 2003-June 2008Add to your cart.
Box 2Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Guestbooks, June 2008 -December 2009Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Guestbooks, January 2010-August 2011Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Guestbooks, August 2011- November 2012Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Guestbooks, November 2012-January 2014Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Guestbooks, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: The Official Altgeld Chimes Handbook, 2019Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Chimes Players, undatedAdd to your cart.
Series 3: Photographs and Memorabilia, 1930-2017Add to your cart.
Consists of photographs, portraits, and memorabilia of the Altgeld Chimes. Loose photographs are arranged chronogically where available. Larger items are arranged seperately.
Box 4Add to your cart.
Folder 6: The Altgeld Chimes: Songs for Our Dear Old Illinois, 2023Add to your cart.
CD. Recorded by the Altgeld Ringers.
Box 5Add to your cart.
Item 1: Sue Wood 45 Years of Volunteerism Plaque, April 24, 2017Add to your cart.
Consists of  a plaque conmemorating Sue Wood's 45 years of volunteerism
Item 2: Law Building - University of Illinois Plaque, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 9Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Chimes Associated People, 1930-1970Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Consists of photos of the Altgeld Chimes, Chimes Players and Chimes Masters including: Sue Wood and Albert Marien. Personal photos of Albert Marien.
Folder 2: Chimes Interior/Exterior, 1981-2015Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Consists of photos of the Chimes, the Chimes masters and Chimes players as related to the Chimes building.
Folder 3: Certificates, 1972-1979Add to your cart.
Consists of certificates of Albert Marien for: Who is who in America?, publication certificate, the Two Thousand Men of Achievement Diploma, and a fraternity certificate.
Folder 4: Sue Wood, undatedAdd to your cart.
Consists of a photo of Sue Wood in black frame.
Folder 5: Albert Marien, undatedAdd to your cart.
Consists of a photo of Albert Marien in a black frame.
Folder 6: Valentine Card and Photograph, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 10Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Albert Marien, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Altgeld Chimes, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 11Add to your cart.
Item 1: Altgeld T-Shirt, undatedAdd to your cart.
Altgeld Chimes t-shirt. White text reading "Altgeld Chimes est. 1920" and logo on light blue cotton fabric.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Chimesmasters Personal Papers, 1963-2019],
[Series 2: Administrative and Operational Records, 1931-2019],
[Series 3: Photographs and Memorabilia, 1930-2017],
[All]