-------------------- N E W S  R E L E A S E --------------------

            Auburn University - University Relations
                         (334) 844-9999
----------------------------------------------------------------
4/27/95                                     Roy Summerford

AUBURN UNIVERSITY'S 'BIG SAM' GETS HIS HANDS BACK

      AUBURN -- Auburn University's "Big Sam" got his hands back -- all 
eight of them.
      Workers reattached the hands to Auburn UniversityÕs 106-year-old 
clock shortly before noon on April 26, concluding a months-long 
refurbishing to restore the historic clock to its 1890s glory.
      At noon, the clock -- often called ÒBig SamÓ because it sits atop 
Samford Hall, AuburnÕs most famous building -- tolled the hour for the 
first time in 1995. Afterward, the clockÕs renovated carillon, silent for 
more than a decade, played the Auburn ÒAlma MaterÓ followed by the ÒWar 
EagleÓ fight song.
      The historic clock was restored with modern works inside and the 
look and sound of the original, said Stanley Drake, assistant vice 
president for facilities. And for the first time in years, the clock will 
display the same time on all four sides.
      The renovation to the Samford clock was financed with a gift from 
Donald and Jane Samford Naismith of Savannah, Ga.  Mrs. Naismith is a 
great granddaughter of early 20th century Alabama Gov. W.J. Samford, for 
whom Samford Hall is named. The Naismiths have also established a 
charitable remainder unitrust that will provide for maintenance and 
restoration of the historic clock, its works and carillon for future 
generations.
      Carl Gagliano, a Facilities Division electrical engineer, said 
the clock, a product of the Seth Thomas Clock Co. of Thomaston, Conn., 
was restored to its original look and sound with technology that did not 
exist a century ago.
       The original bronze Roman numbers and minute marks were cleaned, 
repainted and applied to new wood facings that were coated with a white, 
weather-resistant rubberized finish so the clock will have to be painted 
less frequently. Lighting has also been updated and the new lights are 
brighter than the old ones, but Gagliano noted that the fixtures look the 
same.
      New hands were placed on the clockfaces and the plastic covers 
that protected the clock during the roofing work have come down. All new 
electronic movements were installed, and a master control will keep all 
the clockfaces displaying the same time. An additional movement will be 
kept in reserve for use when a unit is being repaired. 
      The 50-year-old mechanical movement is being stored while the 
university determines where to place it on permanent display.
      The bell, which was cast in 1889 in Troy, N.Y., had been out of 
commission in recent years. As part of the restoration, the bell was 
reconditioned by Facilities Division Paint Shop workers, and a hammer 
that rested on the bell upon striking, producing a dull sound, has been 
corrected, Gagliano said.
       ÒWe hope this will return the sound to its original tone, when 
the clapper hit the bell and was pulled back instead of staying against 
the bell,Ó he said.
      The renovation also included the carillon, which was a gift from 
former AU Trustee Frank P. Samford Jr. in 1977 but had been out of order 
for several years. As with the clock movements, mechanical parts were 
replaced with electronic ones which give a truer sound, are more 
versatile and are more reliable than earlier versions. Music can be 
programmed or played on the original keyboard, which can be moved to a 
more accessible site than the Samford loft.
      The new clock movements and carillon electronics were made by the 
Verden Company of Cincinnati, which made the original carillon. 
# # #
april95:auclock