Students have stolen the huge, symbolic letter 'T' on the Tech Tower's TECH signs a number of times.[41] The 'T' is then returned at the halftime of the homecoming football game, and the students' achievement celebrated. Tradition dictates that the first 'T' to be stolen should be the one facing east,[42][43] as this can most easily be seen from the Downtown Connector.[42][44] The groups of students responsible for 'T' thefts generally assume dramatic pseudonyms, such as the "Mystic Marauders" or the "Sneaky Four." Pervasive rumors of a detailed plan held in the Institute's archives to execute "the perfect T theft," crafted by an unnamed Georgia Tech fraternity, are apparently spurious.
Notable thefts
A closeup of Tech Tower's iconic TECH signage
The 'T' was first stolen in April 1969 by a secret group of Georgia Tech fraternity brothers calling themselves the "Magnificent Seven".[46] Inspired by a similar prank that had taken place in 1968 at Harvard University, the students planned the theft as a means of commemorating Institute President Edwin D. Harrison's retirement.[47] The 'T' was returned several days later via helicopter at the behest of Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen.[4]
“ A high point of the celebration came when Tech students unveiled and presented to Harrison a 5-foot-tall (1.5 m) T — a part of the four Tech signs around the top of the administration building that had mysteriously disappeared the preceding week — so that he would have what every Tech man needed, his own glowing yellow T for a conversation piece.[47] ”
On the evening of November 6, 1997, the 'T's were nearly stolen from the north, south and west sides of Tech Tower by five students wielding hacksaws, tin snips, and rappelling equipment.[42][48] The students were caught by Georgia Tech police acting on a tip provided by an anonymous informant. The stolen north 'T' was recovered in the back of a blue Ford Explorer that was parked at the Copper Kettle on Howell Mill Road, also in response to an anonymous tip. Each student was required to pay $2,446.75 in damages, although criminal charges were not filed. The Georgia Tech Office of Facilities reinstalled the 'T' on January 31, 1998, 87 days after its attempted theft.[48][49]
One of the most theatrical thefts of the 'T' occurred over the summer of 1999. The 'T' on the north face of Tech Tower was stolen by a group of "six or seven people" on the morning of June 3, 1999. The perpetrators wrote a letter detailing the theft to the editorial staff of The Technique, Georgia Tech's student newspaper. The letter, an abridged version of which was subsequently printed in the summer issue of The Technique, described the process of stealing the 'T' by lowering it via a rope and moving it to a secret location. The letter also included a photograph of the 'T' "on vacation" in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Finally, the perpetrators indicated plans to return the 'T' during the Georgia Tech Homecoming Parade, according to tradition, as long as no criminal charges would be brought against them. The letter was signed by fictitious Georgia Tech alumnus George P. Burdell.[50] However, the Institute released a notice that those who stole the 'T' would be harshly punished,[51] and therefore the 'T' remains to this day at an undisclosed location.
A 'T' goes missing during the 2006 Georgia Tech–NC State football game
The replacement 'T' on the north face of Tech Tower was stolen on May 28, 2001 by three students, two of whom were found guilty of numerous conduct code violations by the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet and subsequently suspended.[41] The students had successfully removed the 'T' from its mount but were caught by authorities when the removal triggered an alarm. In October 2005, a replica of the 'T' was stolen from the Student Services Building and returned two days later.[52]
The tradition of stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower has inspired copycat crimes involving other signage. During a Georgia Tech–NC State football game on November 4, 2006, the second 'T' from a large nc state university banner mysteriously vanished from the upper deck of Carter-Finley Stadium where it had been hanging. It was widely assumed across the Tech campus that the prank was pulled off by a group of Georgia Tech students in an homage to the longstanding Tech Tower tradition; however, it is possible that the T in the banner came loose and fell to the stands below.[53]
Similar copycat crimes have occurred on the Georgia Tech campus. In late 2001, a group of Georgia Tech students calling itself the "Caldwell Liberation Army" stole 32 'T's from signs on 16 campus buildings over a period of two nights. The students, who were not caught, vandalized the signs to express their bitterness at being displaced from Caldwell Residence Hall while renovations were taking place.[54] In February 2006, it was noticed that small vinyl 'T' stickers were being stolen from informational signs located around the Georgia Tech campus, creating confusion for visitors and new students.[55]
Institute reaction
Georgia Tech facilities workers replace the 'T' stolen in 2001.
The Georgia Tech administration's position on stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower has varied over the years. When the 'T' was first stolen in 1969, interim Institute President Vernon Crawford was so upset he considered canceling classes until it was returned. Afterwards, subsequent presidents opted to turn a blind eye to the practice, with one president, John Patrick Crecine, going so far as to endorse it.[4]
“ I think stealing the ‘T’ off the Tech Tower is among the all-time greatest rituals. ”
Today, stealing the 'T' is prohibited and is officially punishable with expulsion, although this has not happened in practice. After a Georgia Tech visitor was accidentally killed while climbing the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 1999,[56] Institute President G. Wayne Clough banned stealing of the 'T' and the climbing of any Institute building, due to the risk of fatal falls and the potential for damage to the building.[51] Clough also expressed concern over the "incredibly expensive liability litigation" Georgia Tech could face in the event of an accident.[46] To discourage climbing, security features such as pressure-sensitive roof tiling, fiber optic cabling running throughout the letters, and an audible alarm have been added to the 'T' to help prevent its theft
Notable thefts
A closeup of Tech Tower's iconic TECH signage
The 'T' was first stolen in April 1969 by a secret group of Georgia Tech fraternity brothers calling themselves the "Magnificent Seven".[46] Inspired by a similar prank that had taken place in 1968 at Harvard University, the students planned the theft as a means of commemorating Institute President Edwin D. Harrison's retirement.[47] The 'T' was returned several days later via helicopter at the behest of Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen.[4]
“ A high point of the celebration came when Tech students unveiled and presented to Harrison a 5-foot-tall (1.5 m) T — a part of the four Tech signs around the top of the administration building that had mysteriously disappeared the preceding week — so that he would have what every Tech man needed, his own glowing yellow T for a conversation piece.[47] ”
On the evening of November 6, 1997, the 'T's were nearly stolen from the north, south and west sides of Tech Tower by five students wielding hacksaws, tin snips, and rappelling equipment.[42][48] The students were caught by Georgia Tech police acting on a tip provided by an anonymous informant. The stolen north 'T' was recovered in the back of a blue Ford Explorer that was parked at the Copper Kettle on Howell Mill Road, also in response to an anonymous tip. Each student was required to pay $2,446.75 in damages, although criminal charges were not filed. The Georgia Tech Office of Facilities reinstalled the 'T' on January 31, 1998, 87 days after its attempted theft.[48][49]
One of the most theatrical thefts of the 'T' occurred over the summer of 1999. The 'T' on the north face of Tech Tower was stolen by a group of "six or seven people" on the morning of June 3, 1999. The perpetrators wrote a letter detailing the theft to the editorial staff of The Technique, Georgia Tech's student newspaper. The letter, an abridged version of which was subsequently printed in the summer issue of The Technique, described the process of stealing the 'T' by lowering it via a rope and moving it to a secret location. The letter also included a photograph of the 'T' "on vacation" in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Finally, the perpetrators indicated plans to return the 'T' during the Georgia Tech Homecoming Parade, according to tradition, as long as no criminal charges would be brought against them. The letter was signed by fictitious Georgia Tech alumnus George P. Burdell.[50] However, the Institute released a notice that those who stole the 'T' would be harshly punished,[51] and therefore the 'T' remains to this day at an undisclosed location.
A 'T' goes missing during the 2006 Georgia Tech–NC State football game
The replacement 'T' on the north face of Tech Tower was stolen on May 28, 2001 by three students, two of whom were found guilty of numerous conduct code violations by the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet and subsequently suspended.[41] The students had successfully removed the 'T' from its mount but were caught by authorities when the removal triggered an alarm. In October 2005, a replica of the 'T' was stolen from the Student Services Building and returned two days later.[52]
The tradition of stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower has inspired copycat crimes involving other signage. During a Georgia Tech–NC State football game on November 4, 2006, the second 'T' from a large nc state university banner mysteriously vanished from the upper deck of Carter-Finley Stadium where it had been hanging. It was widely assumed across the Tech campus that the prank was pulled off by a group of Georgia Tech students in an homage to the longstanding Tech Tower tradition; however, it is possible that the T in the banner came loose and fell to the stands below.[53]
Similar copycat crimes have occurred on the Georgia Tech campus. In late 2001, a group of Georgia Tech students calling itself the "Caldwell Liberation Army" stole 32 'T's from signs on 16 campus buildings over a period of two nights. The students, who were not caught, vandalized the signs to express their bitterness at being displaced from Caldwell Residence Hall while renovations were taking place.[54] In February 2006, it was noticed that small vinyl 'T' stickers were being stolen from informational signs located around the Georgia Tech campus, creating confusion for visitors and new students.[55]
Institute reaction
Georgia Tech facilities workers replace the 'T' stolen in 2001.
The Georgia Tech administration's position on stealing the 'T' from Tech Tower has varied over the years. When the 'T' was first stolen in 1969, interim Institute President Vernon Crawford was so upset he considered canceling classes until it was returned. Afterwards, subsequent presidents opted to turn a blind eye to the practice, with one president, John Patrick Crecine, going so far as to endorse it.[4]
“ I think stealing the ‘T’ off the Tech Tower is among the all-time greatest rituals. ”
Today, stealing the 'T' is prohibited and is officially punishable with expulsion, although this has not happened in practice. After a Georgia Tech visitor was accidentally killed while climbing the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 1999,[56] Institute President G. Wayne Clough banned stealing of the 'T' and the climbing of any Institute building, due to the risk of fatal falls and the potential for damage to the building.[51] Clough also expressed concern over the "incredibly expensive liability litigation" Georgia Tech could face in the event of an accident.[46] To discourage climbing, security features such as pressure-sensitive roof tiling, fiber optic cabling running throughout the letters, and an audible alarm have been added to the 'T' to help prevent its theft
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