Tower of Babel, unfinished, 2009

[dalethorn]

Humbard, the first televangelist, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, built the Cathedral Of Tomorrow (pictured) in 1959 for three million dollars borrowed from the Teamsters Union. Expanding into a Michigan college complex in the 1970's, and building this tower in 1971, his chips ran out and he eventually sold the property to Angley, another major TV evangelist, also from Akron, Ohio.  Both televangelists were born in the South, and relocated to Akron.  The Tower of Babel title is apt, given my impression of the circumstances when I lived here in the 1970's.

[Silver Birch Studio]

I used to live in Akron and remember the Rex Humbard tower well...we used to call it Rex's er*ction! Thanks for the blast from the past...

[alainbriot]

Does the tower have a purpose ?

[dalethorn]

Does the tower have a purpose ?

Originally, to be tall enough and have the materials to broadcast over a wide area regionally. But with cable television in development then (1971-72), many people felt it was an extravagance, and that the broadcast arm of the church should lease such facilities instead.

[JDClements]

Very interesting. It looks like a big smoke stack!

[alainbriot]

Originally, to be tall enough and have the materials to broadcast over a wide area regionally. But with cable television in development then (1971-72), many people felt it was an extravagance, and that the broadcast arm of the church should lease such facilities instead.

Thank you.  It's an interesting piece of American TV Evangelism history!

[dalethorn]

Very interesting. It looks like a big smoke stack!

I hadn't intended to photograph this before, for exactly that reason - without the fog it does look a lot like a smokestack.

[dalethorn]

Thank you.  It's an interesting piece of American TV Evangelism history!

I hadn't intended to say any more on this topic, but due to the interesting subject matter, I thought I'd add a couple more tidbits. When this large round church opened in 1959, it was astounding for its audacity and opulence. I remember a few things clearly from back then. We attended as a family, and at one point my brother tried to get up to go use the restroom, and the usher made him sit back down.  I don't recall what the final resolution of that was.  One thing that Humbard did that I never saw elsewhere was when the money collection was finished, they declared that it wasn't enough, and passed the collection plates again.  The most dramatic thing was the large stage that rose to the main stage level, and could be lowered into the basement, allowing large scenes to be brought up intact, ready to go.  If you're familiar with Dante's Inferno, they put a short version of that on one day.  Very impressive to young minds.