The hats promote the Ford Caravan of Music, which on this occasion was sponsoring performances by The Lively Ones, the Serendipity Singers, and the Oscar Peterson Trio on February 4, 1965.
The chimes, located in Benton Hall, were a gift of the alumni association and could be heard twice daily. In 1957 Oregon State raised funds for a carillon, which was installed in the Memorial Union. For many years the carillon has chimed out the Fight Song and the Alma Mater at 5:00 p.m. each day. The carillon was automated in the 1990s with a digital sound system.