This bell is a gift from Tom Cushman, son of Robert Earl Cushman, former dean of Duke Divinity School and professor of systematic theology (1958-1971). In 1964, Dean Cushman served as the official Methodist observer at the Second Vatican Council. The cast bronze bell, which features the symbols of the Four Evangelists cast in deep relief, was created by the Vatican and given by Pope John XXIII to each of the council observers as recognition of their presence. Cushman was the first Protestant theologian to be given an honorary degree by a Roman Catholic university. An ordained Methodist minister, Dean Cushman was actively involved in ecumenical affairs, serving as a delegate at the World Conference on Faith and Order in 1952 and 1963. During his tenure, Cushman was committed to building a Roman Catholic faculty at the Divinity School and was also at the forefront of efforts to end racial segregation at Duke University.