County Road 11: Clock Museum at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTOK) – There are over 20 museums and galleries at Mississippi State University in Starkville, all designed to increase educational opportunities both on and off campus.

County Road 11 continues our look at some of these unique places with a trip to the Cullis and Gladys Wade Clock Museum.

Located in the lobby of the MSU Welcome Center, the clock museum showcases an extensive collection of mostly American clocks and time pieces dating back as far as the early 1700’s.

“We have a lot of hidden treasures here on the University, said Cristi Stevens, the coordinator for the MSU Welcome Center. “We have a lot of museums that people don’t realize, and this clock museum actually is the only clock museum in the state of Mississippi that we’re aware of and so that makes it unique in itself.”

The clocks came from renowned antique clock collector Charles Cullis Wade, a native of Newton, and a 1940 MSU graduate. While most of the clocks are original productions, several have been customized by Mr. Wade.

The collection also features a number of French clocks and several English and German pieces.

“Mainly they are amazed at the number of them and that they were all a part of one person’s collection,” said Stevens. “With having over 400 time pieces and knowing that each clock was part of the collection two individuals, I think that is what amazes them the most. They’re so old and still work.”

If you spend any time in this museum, it’s hard not to think about time, and what it means.

Tennessee Williams said time is the longest distance between two places. “Time is money” proclaimed Benjamin Franklin.

William Penn said time is what we want most, but what we use worst. John Lennon said time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted time. And Martin Luther King Junior famously said the time is always right to do what is right.

The next time you’re around these parts, take time out to check out the Clock Museum at Mississippi State. It will be well worth your time.