Creator: Wendell Westcott

Subjects: Anniversaries, Sesquicentennial

Description:

Wendell Westcott served as MSU’s carillonneur from 1947 until his retirement in 1985. He attended MSU where he earned a BA in 1935 and a Masters in 1939 in piano. He also graduated from the Carillon school in Mechlin, Belgium, in 1957, earning the highest rating diploma of anyone ever graduating from that institution.

After graduating from MSU Westcott served as organist at Central Methodist in Lansing, served in the US Army during the war, and then came back to MSU where he was a faculty member in the Music Department from 1947 to 1985.

In 1954 he created the Spartan Bell Ringers, a group of handbell players from the university who gave concerts throughout the United States. Westcott helped establish the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. He also started the first broadcast of music from the MSU carillon at noon several times a week over WKAR radio. The Muelder Carillon Concerts every summer are given in honor of Westcott’s dedication to the MSU carillon.

Topics/People Covered in the Interview include: American Guild of English Handbell Ringers; Beaumont Tower; Russell Daubert; William Davidson; Duke Ellington; Fairwell; John Hannah; Sally Harwood; MSU Carillon; John McGough; M Peter McPherson; Development Fund; Milton Muelder Memorial Concerts; WKAR Radio; Spartan Bell Ringers; Milton Muelder; The Cap and Gown; Clifton Wharton; Mrs Arthur Surcliff

Date: June 27, 2001

Collection Number: UA 3

Language: English

Rights Management: Educational use only, no other permissions given. Copyright to this resource is held by Michigan State University and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission of the University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Contributing Institution: University Archives & Historical Collections, Office of the Provost

Relation: Sesquicentennial Oral History Project

Contributor: MSU Archives and Historical Collections