Sir David Wills & The Bells of Congress

Sir David Wills (1917-1999) was a generous philanthropist who founded the Ditchley Foundation in 19582. Born into a wealthy tobacco family, Wills established the Foundation to promote Anglo-American dialogue and support the Transatlantic Alliance.

The Ditchley Foundation, based at Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire, works to sustain peace, freedom, and order by bringing together people from across the world15. It holds conferences focusing on British-American relations and global issues, fostering dialogue among experts and leaders from various fields69.

The Transatlantic Alliance, a cornerstone of American and European security strategy for over 70 years, is embodied in NATO. The Ditchley Foundation plays a role in strengthening this alliance by facilitating discussions on shared challenges and values.

One of Sir David Wills' notable contributions to the Transatlantic Alliance was the gift of the Bells of Congress. To commemorate the bicentenary of American Independence in 1976, Wills arranged for replicas of Westminster Abbey's bells to be cast. These bells, known as the Ditchley Bells, now hang in the Old Post Office Tower in Washington, D.C., opposite the White House. The largest bell bears the inscription "Courage, wisdom and love," Wills' accolade for the American people. The bells are rung to mark significant occasions, such as the opening of Congress and other major state events.

A stone’s throw from the White House (the Secret Service recommends against that) rises one of Washington's few significant Romanesque Revival buildings on a monumental scale: the Old Post Office and Clock Tower. Long one of Washington's favorite landmarks, the Old Post Office was originally built from 1892 to 1899 to house the U.S. Post Office Department Headquarters and the city's post office. 

The building, with its 315-foot high clock tower, was the third highest in Washington at the time of its completion – exceeded only by the U.S. Capitol Building and Washington Monument. Its central enclosed court was one of the largest in the world, and its construction incorporated many of the latest technical innovations of the day, such as steel and iron framing, fireproofing, and an electric power grid. Visible from a distance of several miles, the clock tower has received particular acclaim as an element of great vitality in the otherwise sterile skyline of the Federal Triangle.