The Independence Hall Bell Ringers Association

On New Year's Eve, at the stroke of midnight, a group of men climbed the tower of Independence Hall and rang the tower bell to welcome the start of 1951 and the 175th year of the Declaration of Independence. The group called themselves the Independence Hall Bell Ringers Association. Among their number were Anderson, Riley, and Warren McCullough, formerly the city's curator of Independence Hall and now, as a park service employee, in charge of maintenance and protection. The Centennial Bell pealing over Independence Square was the first official event under the management of the National Park Service.