The plaque here sits directly behind the Arch at Broad Street. It is the first thing that greets you when walking into the University. The plaque that is standing today was placed in 1991, however the first plaque was erected in 1952 by the Georgia Historical Commission. The 1952 plaque and the current plaque both contain a factual error regarding the term “chancellor” in the text. Since 1932, the term “president” has been used instead. This plaque has been questioned by many for its famous if not infamous line of “During the War for Southern Independence, most of the students entered the Confederate Army.”. The plaque goes on to detail various pre-war and postwar presidents using the civil war as a defining moment in the University’s history. The reason behind why the plaque references the Civil War so much is unknown, but the term used is what causes such a large issue. Calling it the “War for Southern Independence” is a glorifying name for the side that was pro-slavery.

 

The Chapel Bell we know today has gone through quite a bit of history. The chapel which hosts the bell was built in 1832 with a grand total cost of $15,000. The bell was initially positioned on the roof. However in 1913, due to rotten wood in the structure, the bell was moved to its location that it maintains now. The Chapel Bell was used to mark the beginning of service as well as the beginning and ending of classes and during World War II, had been used as an air raid siren. The longest tradition of the bell was to ring the bell til midnight for every home football victory and all night for a win over Georgia Tech. In 2007, the bell fell again after a win over Florida which required that the entire tower be rebuilt.