History of the Centennial Tower

Illustration by Noelle Mitchem

Article by Jayden Forsyth

NEWBERG, Ore. – Located in the center of George Fox University’s (GFU) quad, Centennial Tower stands the test of time and tells it as well. This brick, four-sided tower watches over campus and has become part of the university’s history since its construction in 1991.

Designed by nationally acclaimed architect Pietro Belluschi in 1990 or early 1991, the Centennial Tower serves as a stoic commemoration of GFU’s 100th year of operation.

Belluschi, who was born in Ancona, Italy in 1899 and passed in 1994, accomplished many incredible feats in his long life. During World War I, he served in the Italian armed forces alongside Great Britain, France and the United States. After his service, he earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Rome in 1922 and continued his education at Cornell University in 1923.

Belluschi designed  nationally recognized buildings such as the Equitable Building in Portland, the Pan Am Building in New York City and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. Centennial Tower was one of the final builds of his career.

Centennial Tower itself is a 65 foot tall, open-air brick tower that sports several clock faces and a minimalist, modernist expression that Belluschi was known for. Housed within the tower is the original 200-pound cast-iron bell that rang for the first students of GFU in 1891.

Also located within the tower is a carillon; a musical instrument, composed of 23 or more tuned bells, which plays harmonies that reflect the season.

Centennial Tower automatically chimed on the quarter hour during the day and would even play Christmas carols in December. Since the beginning of the 2025 fall semester, however, it has been silent. The reason for this silence is unclear, but the tower was seen being serviced by a masonry restoration company in September of 2025.

Regardless of the tower’s silence, it stands as an important piece of GFU’s history as it has for 35 years. It has seen and told the time for thousands of GFU students and alumni and is the central element of GFU’s current logo.