In the center of WVU Tech's campus stands the Lewin Family Bell Tower. Built in 1997 and named for the family of Max Lewin, the tower stands as a reminder of those lives lost during the Holocaust, including members of Max’s family.
Max grew up in Poland and was studying to become an engineer until, like millions of people throughout the world, World War II changed his trajectory. Max, his parents, his wife, and four siblings were taken to concentration camps. Only he survived.
Max moved to the United States after surviving four concentration camps. He reconnected with a surviving brother and settled in Beckley in 1946. Max became a successful businessman in Beckley and donated to numerous charities in the area.
The bell tower on campus stands as a reminder of both the destructiveness of intolerance and the power of perseverance.