Hamilton College Professor Designs Memorial for 9-11 Crash Site

Clinton, NY will forever be connected to the tragic events of 9/11 in a moving way: a Hamilton College professor designed the final element of the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA.

On September 11, 2001, United Flight 93 was hijacked by terrorists who intended to fly the plane into the United States Capitol. Instead, the brave passengers and crew fought to regain control of the flight, ultimately crashing it into a field in Shanksville, killing everyone on board: 4 terrorists, and 40 heroic passengers and crew members. Of the 4 planes hijacked on 9/11, Flight 93 was the only one that didn't reach its intended target.

A new memorial has recently been dedicated, and it owes the most moving part of it's design to Hamilton College Professor of Music Sam Pellman. "The chimes’ pitch design was created by Pellman, who was tragically killed shortly after completing this project. The sole musician on a team of acousticians, architects, and National Park Service staff, Pellman was hired for his combined expertise in acoustics and composition. He was selected for the project by the memorial’s architectural firm, Paul Murdoch Architects," Hamilton College says in a release.

In memory of the 40 brave lives lost on 9/11 in Shanksville, the 93 foot tall "Tower of Voices" was erected and then dedicated on September 9, 2018. What makes the tower special is the inclusion of 40 unique chimes - each representing the voices of the 40 people lost in the crash. "The intent is to create a set of forty tones (voices) that can connote through consonance the serenity and nobility of the site while also through dissonance recalling the event that consecrated the site," according to the memorial's description. A representation of the chimes sound can be heard here.

It is intended to be a landmark feature near the memorial entrance, visible from US Route 30/Lincoln Highway. The Tower of Voices will provide a living memorial in sound to remember the forty through their ongoing voices. You can view other elements of the Flight 93 Memorial or plan a visit at Flight93Friends.org.