Thanks to the Physical Plant, warm summer days will be much cooler inside MSU's Beaumont Tower.

In 2008, a group of Phys Planters made sure an air-conditioning unit was installed at the campus landmark. According to Maintenance Mechanic II Steve Smith, the tower never had an air conditioner due to the high cost of installing it in such an old building.

Frequent tower users have attempted over the past few years to get air conditioning in the tower.

“The people who play the carillon were trying to take donations [in a change jar] to put in AC,” said Smith, who takes care of the tower's bells and clocks. The carillon is a musical instrument composed of bells at the top of the tower, which are played using a keyboard.

Planner/Inspector/Analyst I Todd Wilson also frequents Beaumont Tower to look after its electronics. Realizing that the change-collection jar might not raise enough money, Wilson looked for outside help.

“I asked vendors to donate an AC unit,” said Wilson. Nelson-Trane donated the unit and National Piping Mechanical Contractors donated time and materials to install it.

Wilson, Smith and Trades Aide Christopher Smith helped put in the air-conditioning unit. The job took place near the end of fall and lasted two weeks.

July 9, 2009