University approves new guidelines for lighting of UT Tower

January 28, 2002

E-mail this article

AUSTIN, Texas—The University of Texas at Austin has approved new guidelines for lighting the UT Tower.

President Larry R. Faulkner appointed an ad hoc Committee on Tower Guidelines on Feb. 2, 2001, and charged its members to specifically address:

• Should the Tower be lit for individual achievements, as well as "group" achievements?
• What should be the level of recognition?
• What should the lighting pattern be for each level of recognition?
• Should the Tower be lit for non-university events?

The committee recommended, and the president approved, the revised set of Tower lighting guidelines, based on the following philosophy:

• Lighting patterns should distinguish between academic and staff achievements and athletic victories
• Traditional Orange should be displayed for celebration of campus-wide events
• Darkened tower (UT Remembers) should be used only for solemn occasions
• Committee recommends two new lighting configurations:
  • White top, Orange shaft
  • Top split Orange and White with Orange shaft
• Other lighting options are available.

The new guidelines replace a lighting system devised by engineering Professor Carl J. Eckhardt Jr., in 1947. He created guidelines for using the orange lights to take advantage of the Tower’s commanding architecture to announce university achievements.
The new guidelines are as follows:

(click on thumbnail image for a larger version in a new window)

Standard Tower lighting

Configuration: Tower entirely White

Academic and staff achievements

Configuration: White top with Orange shaft
• Faculty academic achievements (Academic Convocation)
• Student academic achievements (Honors Day)
• Staff achievements (Staff Recognition Day)
• Academic team achievements with #1 displayed
• Other events at the President’s discretion

Athletic achievements

Configuration: Orange top with White shaft
• Football regular season victories, except Texas A&M
• Non-Bowl Championship Series (BCS) victories
• Other events at the President’s discretion

Significant athletic victories

Configuration: Tower entirely Orange
• Football victories:
• Texas A&M
• Big 12 South
• Big 12 Championship Game
• Big 12 Regular Season Team Championships
• Big 12 Tournament Championships
• Student organization sports club national championships

Athletic championships

Configuration: Tower entirely Orange with #1 displayed
• Football Bowl Championship Series (BCS) 1 vs. 2 win
• NCAA championships for all other sports

Campus-wide accolades

Configuration: Tower entirely Orange
• UT’s Birthday – September 15
• Commencement
• Texas Independence Day – March 2
• Other campus-wide events at the President’s discretion

Solemn occasions

Configuration: Darkened Tower with White cap and observation deck—all other levels dark, including windows
• UT Remembers (annual memorial service)
• Tower Garden Dedication
• Significant solemn occasions, for example, Texas A&M Bonfire Tragedy
• Other occasions at the President’s discretion

Symbolic campus events

Configuration: Top split Orange and White with Orange shaft
• Gone to Texas—welcoming new students to campus
• Other events at the President’s discretion

Special effects

Configuration: Tower with special effects or numbering.