North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts required daily military drills, and when the U.S. entered World War I, hundreds of students and alumni enlisted. Thirty-four alumni died in military service. The idea for a monument honoring NC State University alumni killed in World War I originated with Vance Sykes, class of 1907, and in 1920 architect William Henry Deacy was hired to design the tower. In 1921 the cornerstone was laid, and construction continued through the 1920s until the Great Depression interrupted funding. The tower was completed in 1937 with the aid of the Works Progress Administration and was dedicated on November 11, 1949. Hallowed places are irreplaceable campus buildings, landscapes, and natural settings that have accrued special meaning over time.