Discovering BC: Gasson, the Legend of the Tower

The beautiful Gasson Hall on a sunny day.

Often pronounced with an attempted French accent, Gasson Hall, is the most iconic, if not the most beautiful, building on BC’s campus.  It’s also the most likely to appear on your Facebook newsfeed.  But as often as we walk by this enormous gothic infrastructure, and as often as we hear its great bells ringing at the hour, do we ever stop to ponder for more than a few seconds about the man whom the building is named after?
 
Reverend Thomas I. Gasson, SJ, served as BC’s 13^th president from 1907 to 1914.  He was originally from England, but had immigrated to Boston at the age of 13.  Although Gasson was raised as a member of the Church of England, he converted to Catholicism and entered the Society of Jesus.  He was ordained to priesthood in 1891.

Gasson at night

Gasson Hall, built in 1913, was one of the first buildings to be developed on the Chestnut Hill campus.  BC, originally located in the South End of Boston, had decided to move to a less urban setting as it was growing in size in 1907.  The “magnificent site on Commonwealth Avenue towards Brighton” was suggested by Gasson.
 
The building has actually had several names—it was originally called the Recitation Building.  Its name then changed to the Tower Building, before finally being named after the former president.  During his time as president, Gasson decided to install the famous “Gasson Tower Bells” in February 1913.  The four large bells were named after prominent Jesuit saints.  (Please tell me you can you guess at least one of them.)

Along with various students’ names, the bells are inscribed with the names of four prominent Jesuit saints.

Each bell was inscribed with a phrase in Latin describing which saint the bell represents.  Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s bell is inscribed with “Ego Sum Ignatius,” meaning “I am Ignatius.”  The other three saints are: Franciscus Xavierius, Aloysius Gonzaga, and Joannes Berchmans.
 
The next time you hear the bells ringing, signaling that you’re late for class, you’ll be reminded of the legacy behind Gasson as you rush by the building.
 
Sources:
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v7/o29/tower.html
http://www.bc.edu/offices/historian/resources/guide/gasson.html
 
Photo Sources:
Jessika Parry
Marion Halftermeyer