Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 24

T

A Treasure

Time takes a toll on the Victory Bell

For generations, one thing that
all Thornton Academy athletes
have looked forward to is the
opportunity to ring the Victory
Bell.

the rope together and pulled, the
wooden-pegged wheel that had
swung the bell for more than a
century broke (see photo right). The
bell went silent.

of John Duranceau whose two children—
Brad ‘09 and Taylor ‘12—graduated from
Thornton. Their generous gift has been
designated to repair and restore the Victory
Bell.

Once sitting atop the Main
Building and ringing as the regular
school bell, this 1889 beauty,
manufactured in West Troy, New
York and donated by C.C.G.
Thornton, now rings from its perch
atop the Fine Arts Building only
after select team wins.

Dedicated Facilities staff worked
quickly and rigged a temporary
iron-bar mechanism that allowed
the bell to ring (see photo center).
Then Thornton Academy faced the
challenge of how to restore the bell
to its original function and address
other maintenance needs (see split
brace at left). Then, on December
29th, the Duranceau Family
presented Headmaster Rene Menard
with a check for $10,000 in memory

Also, Thornton Academy Board of Trustees
member Earle Cianchette, Senior Vice
President of Operations at Cianbro and a TA
parent, has pledged additional support for
this summer when the reproduction wooden
wheel is installed.

This fall, the Boys Soccer team
gathered in the Atrium to celebrate
a victory. When they grabbed

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Why restore the bell? “This is tradition,” said
Maintenance Worker Mike Walker as he
pointed to the wooden pegs securing joints
of the wheel mechanism. “We want to do this
right.”