Ribbon Cutting Dedicates New Housley Tower on Campus

Named in honor of the late entrepreneur and philanthropist, Robert "Bob" Housley, the Housley Tower is located between the Stephens Chapel and S. Johnson Street. It stands approximately 65-feet tall and encompasses 215 square feet, and the exterior and roof of the tower match the brick-and-stone construction and metal roof of the Stephens Chapel. ASU Ram horns are visible in the stucco finish at the belfry, and all four sides have arched entries to allow pedestrians to pass through the tower as they walk along the university mall.

The Housley Tower's electronic Verdin Carillon Bell System is programmed with 7,800 available songs in multiple bell voices, including the ASU Fight Song, as well as 25 customizable tolling bells and eight clock chimes. The tower will sound chimes daily at 8 a.m., 11:48 a.m. and 5 p.m. The 11:48 a.m. chimes signify the exact time the legislation was signed that created Angelo State College as a four-year, state-supported institution on May 17, 1963.

Additionally, color-changing LED lights are installed under the roof eaves, inside the belfry and at the ceiling of the first level, as well as ground-mounted at the base. The first lighting of the tower will take place during spring commencement ceremonies May 10-11.

Ronnie Hawkins Jr."The Housley Tower is the new iconic structure of the campus," said ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr. "Bob Housley believed in the same commitment to excellence and the community that we strive to uphold at Angelo State, and the Housley Tower stands as our joint symbol of those values. The groundbreaking for the tower was my first as president of Angelo State, and it's exciting to see and hear the concept become reality. This is definitely a proud day for the entire Ram Family."

Designed by KFW Architects Inc. of San Angelo, the Housley Tower was constructed by Mid-Tex of Midland Inc., with the engineering phases completed by Austin-based Leap! Structures and Lubbock-based Chambers Engineering.

The tower project was funded by a generous gift from Mona Housley in memory of her late husband, Bob Housley, founder of Housley Communications, who had a long-standing dream of putting a bell tower on the ASU campus.

A native of Carlisle, Ark., Bob Housley earned his pilot's license at the age of 17 and then served in the National Guard, including during the 1957 Integration Crisis at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., where he aided in the protection of the first integrated students in the U.S. He married the former Mona Saunders in 1958 and later took a job with Texas International Aviation that eventually led to his family moving to San Angelo in 1976.

On Oct. 1, 1980, Housley launched Housley Communications based on the principles of honesty, integrity, quality and professionalism. His innovative nature, passion for customer satisfaction, and personal relationships with his employees were instrumental in establishing Housley Communications as an industry leader in providing construction and technical services to many of the major telecommunications companies in the U.S. and beyond, including Mexico and Africa.

In addition to his business success, Housley cared deeply for the community. He was an active supporter of various organizations, including the Lighthouse for the Blind and West Texas Rehabilitation Center, and he served on the Board of Trustees for the ASU Foundation and First Financial Bank for many years.

Housley's son, Kevin, who worked alongside his father as executive vice president of Housley Communications, developed the Housley Principled Leadership Program that has been adapted into the management curriculum in ASU's Norris-Vincent College of Business.

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