This story is part of a series on the 100th anniversary of Fordham’s historic Rose Hill Gym.
Among Fordham’s many rich traditions, the ringing of the Victory Bell outside the Rose Hill Gym holds special significance. The bell tolls at the start of every commencement, and it signals hard-fought wins in Fordham sports venues. In May 2019, the University’s Office of Military and Veterans’ Services instituted a bell-ringing ceremony to honor veterans in the graduating class.
Here’s your chance to brush up on the roots of these historic traditions.
Original use: The bell was a fixture on the Japanese aircraft carrier Junyo during World War II.
How it came to Fordham: Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who had received an honorary degree from the University in 1944, presented the bell to Fordham in 1946 and dedicated it as a memorial to “Our Dear Young Dead of World War II.”
First campus bellringer: U.S. President Harry S. Truman, visiting Fordham on May 11, 1946, to mark the University’s centenary under a New York state charter, was the first person to ring the bell in its new home on campus. Fordham presented Truman with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, and in a speech, the president stressed the need to support higher education to “master the science of human relationships” and build peace throughout the world.
VIDEO: Watch this short 2016 piece on the history of the Fordham Victory Bell.
RELATED STORY: Celebrating 100 Years of Rose Hill Gym: A Thrilling Legacy
