The Joseph A. Hill Memorial Chapel is named after the University's second president and stands as a testament to Dr. Hill's determination to provide a place for student mediation and reflection. "Its very presence on the campus would be a message of faith in Deity, and would suggest comradeship between education and spiritual values," he said.
The chapel's first cornerstone was laid June 9, 1950, and dedicated in a special ceremony on Oct. 21, 1950. The red sandstone building with stained glass windows and country steeple changed the landscape of the campus and provided a place for student prayer, Bible studies, meetings and inductions, memorials, worship services and weddings. Carillon bells ring daily from the refurbished building. It remains Texas' only privately funded chapel located on state university property.