SAN ANGELO, TX (08/12/2022) Angelo State University hosted an official Groundbreaking Ceremony today (Aug. 12) for the new Housley Tower near the center of the ASU campus, with ASU officials, Housley Family members and members of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents all in attendance.
Named in honor of the late entrepreneur and philanthropist, Robert "Bob" Housley, the Housley Tower will be 70-to-80-feet tall and will be located on campus between the Stephens Chapel and S. Johnson Street. It will feature an electronic Verdin Carillon Bell System, and the exterior and roof of the tower will match the brick-and-stone construction and metal roof of the Stephens Chapel.
"The Housley Tower will soon be the new iconic structure of the campus and the city," said ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr. "Bob Housley believed in the same principles and values that we strive to uphold at Angelo State, and the tower that bears his name will stand as a lasting symbol of that commitment to excellence and the community. This is my first groundbreaking ceremony as president of Angelo State, and it's definitely a proud day for me and the entire Ram Family."
The project is being funded by a generous gift from Mona Housley in memory of her late husband, Bob Housley, founder of Housley Communications.
"Bob had a vision of putting a bell tower on the ASU campus for a long time," Mona Housley said. "I wish he were here to see it finally happen, but I'm also happy to be able to fulfill his dream. He also gave so much to the San Angelo community during his life, and the Housley Tower will be both a permanent reminder of his kindness and leadership, as well as a fitting tribute to his generosity of spirit."
A native of Carlisle, Ark., Bob Housley earned his pilot's license at the age of 17 and then served in the National Guard, including during the 1957 Integration Crisis at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., where he aided in the protection of the first integrated students in the U.S. He married the former Mona Saunders in 1958 and later took a job with Texas International Aviation that eventually led to his family moving to San Angelo in 1976.
On Oct. 1, 1980, Housley launched Housley Communications based on the principles of honesty, integrity, quality and professionalism. His innovative nature, passion for customer satisfaction, and personal relationships with his employees were instrumental in establishing Housley Communications as an industry leader in providing construction and technical services to many of the major telecommunications companies in the U.S. and beyond, including Mexico and Africa.
In addition to his business success, Housley cared deeply for the community. He was an active supporter of various organizations, including the Lighthouse for the Blind and West Texas Rehabilitation Center, and he served on the Board of Trustees for the ASU Foundation and First Financial Bank for many years.
Housley's son, Kevin, who worked alongside his father as executive vice president of Housley Communications, developed the Housley Principled Leadership Program that has been adapted into the management curriculum in ASU's Norris-Vincent College of Business.
Construction of the ASU Housley Tower is scheduled to be completed next spring.