Stealing the clock hands from the Healy Hall clock tower is a Georgetown tradition dating back to at least the 1960s. While many students embrace the tradition, the administration has often criticized it and punished students who successfully steal the hands.
Origins and history
While the tradition's origins are unclear, it seems to date back to at least 1964, when an article in The Hoya referenced "replacement of stolen clock hands" as a maintenance cost for the university1. The first reference to a successful heist came the following year, when a university financial report condemned "the immature activity of a few" in stealing the hands2.
In 1967, a group of freshmen formed the Hands of the Clock Klub (HOCK) and set out to steal the hands3. HOCK told The Hoya that they encountered several other students trying to steal the hands during their successful attempt, which took approximately 12 hours4. Encountering unexpected difficulties once the attempt was underway, HOCK ultimately required additional provisions and tools to pull of the heist5. Once the hands were in hand, HOCK left a banner that said "Tick-Tock HOCK has the Clock"6. HOCK returned the hands three weeks later but wrote "HOCK '71" and the group members' nicknames on the hands7.
Thefts of the hands were reportedly so common in the 1960s that the university often neglected to replace the hands for weeks8.
Stealing the clock hands remained a tradition into the 1970s. In one instance, students stole and returned the hands — but painted them with red and white peppermint stripes9. The 1978 theft was the last for a decade, as students would not successfully steal the hands again until 198810. While the tradition continued into the early 1990s, the hands would not be stolen again until 2001 after a successful 1993 heist11.
Recent thefts
The frequency of thefts has declined in recent years, with a successful attempt occurring every 4-5 years. The most recent heist occurred in May 2023; the perpetrators replaced the hands with a banner featuring a fish and the phrase "Absolutely Torqued". However, the thieves were caught almost immediately and the hands had returned to the tower within a day. The 2023 heist was the first successful attempt since 2017, when the thieves left an inflatable unicorn head in the hands' place12. Successful thefts also occurred in 2005, 2012, and 2014.
Recipients
While recent thieves have been quickly apprehended, mailing the hands has historically been part of the tradition. Fr. Timothy Healy, S.J., then the university's president, received the hands after a 1978 theft13. The pope is often a rumored recipient14, though it is unclear whether any pope has ever received the hands. In 1988, Dean Carignan (SFS '91) led a group of students who stole the hands and intended to mail them to Pope John Paul II15. However, Carignan discovered that "the package was too big to be sent through air mail" and instead mailed the hands to President Reagan16.
University Views
The administration has often condemned the tradition for various reasons. Criticisms in the 1960s, a time when the university faced significant financial strain, focused on the increased maintenance costs caused by replacing the hands and fixing damage inflicted during the attempt. More recently, however, the university has emphasized student safety. Perpetrators have often been subjected to disciplinary proceedings; a pair of students who stole the hands in 2005 were sentenced to extensive community service and yearlong disciplinary probation17. The university's response has been met with criticism in student media, which has described the theft as a "tradition, not a serious offense"18. After a successful 2012 heist, The Hoya's editorial board called for the university to "remove the threat of punishment for those who succeed in the endeavor"19.
- 1"Teachers' Salaries Lag Behind U.S. Averages." The Hoya. 30 October 1964.
- 2"University Report on Finances." The Hoya. 18 February 1965.
- 3Pisinski, Steve. "Theft Of Clock Hands Traced To Frosh Plot." The Hoya. 2 November 1967.
- 4Pisinski, Steve. "Theft Of Clock Hands Traced To Frosh Plot." The Hoya. 2 November 1967.
- 5Pisinski, Steve. "Theft Of Clock Hands Traced To Frosh Plot." The Hoya. 2 November 1967.
- 6Pisinski, Steve. "Theft Of Clock Hands Traced To Frosh Plot." The Hoya. 2 November 1967.
- 7Balz, Chrissy A. "Healy Clock Theft Has Roots in GU History." The Hoya. 8 November 2005.
- 8Balz, Chrissy A. "Healy Clock Theft Has Roots in GU History." The Hoya. 8 November 2005.
- 9Reid, Chris. "GUPS Has No Leads in Hands Theft." The Hoya. 8 April 1988.
- 10Bash, Alan. "As Senior Week Ends, Clock Hands Remain." The Hoya. 22 May 1992.
- 11Heberle, Robert. "Pilfering a GU Landmark." The Hoya. 7 October 2005.
- 12Cirillo, Jeff. "Suspects Identified in Healy Tower Clock Hands Theft." The Hoya. 1 May 2017.
- 13Reid, Chris. "GUPS Has No Leads in Hands Theft." The Hoya. 8 April 1988.
- 14Sen, Mallika. "Tradition Returns With Theft of Healy Clock Hands." The Hoya. 10 December 2014.
- 15Bash, Alan. "As Senior Week Ends, Clock Hands Remain." The Hoya. 22 May 1992.
- 16Bash, Alan. "As Senior Week Ends, Clock Hands Remain." The Hoya. 22 May 1992.
- 17Sheridan, Patrick. "Healy Duo Receives One Year Probation." The Hoya. 31 January 2006.
- 18"Taking Back Tradition." The Hoya. 18 October 2011.
- 19"A Time for Mischief." The Hoya. 17 May 2012.
