Alumnus donates Elliott Bell Tower for Drake Field

Mercer University alumnus and former Trustee A.V. Elliott donated and helped design the new Elliot Bell Tower which will become part of new Mercer traditions once the football season kicks off next fall.
President Bill Underwood offered a small and informal dedication ceremony at the Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex on Friday, Feb. 8 to present the bell and give details about the new tradition.
“When A.V. presented the bell to the University it was his vision that it would ring out to bear witness to those most sacred moments in the life of the institution,” said President Underwood at the bell tower dedication ceremony.
The bell will ring out after each Mercer Bears score and after each victory. This will not only represent a new tradition for the football team but also for Mercer as a whole.
The bell tower was designed by Elliott and the stadium’s architects to help enhance the overall external appearance of the stadium.
“It’s been a great team effort,” President Underwood said.
The Dedication Ceremony started with President Underwood’s welcome, followed by the installation of the new bell on its base by the stadium’s workers. After the installation process was complete, President Underwood invited SGA’s President Mollie Davis and Vice President Josh Lovett to be the first ones to ring the bell.
“As Mercerians we are very excited to see this bell and have a tangible piece of Mercer’s history put in to work today. I’m looking forward to every time we score touchdowns and ring the bell every time we have a victory to let the whole campus and Macon know that the Bears are back in action!” Davis said.
Elliott was next on ringing the bell and gave some details about the project and his vision. “The bell will be of a great use to this great stadium! I’m proud of it and I know you will be too. It will serve as a reminder of all the good times you had at Mercer,” Elliot said.
A.V. Elliot is a 1956 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts, majored in history and Christianity. He said he donated the bell because of his appreciation to Mercer and its traditions. Elliott is secretary and treasurer of Elliott Machine Shop in Macon, a 100-employee company he founded.
The Elliott Bell Tower will represent a symbol of spirit for Mercer football that students, alumni and fans can ring after each Bears’ score and victory. Elliott concluded the ceremony by saying that the bell ringing will be a brief but fun event and that it will become an important tradition for the future years in Mercer.