h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Princeton University is known for its historical significance diring the American Revolutionary War, but did you know these humerous bell stories?

In 1774, the colonial resistance to the Stamp Act caused some rebelious souls to dress in costume and raid a merchant ship in Boston Harbor. When news of the Boston Tea Party reached Princeton University, the students staged their own tea party, confiscating all the tea from the College steward's stores and the students' rooms and burning it in front yard as the College bell tolled.

In the second week of March 1864, a Friday evening, a student earned his 15 minutes of fame by climbing up to the cupola on Nassau Hall and stealing the bell clapper, thus naively hoping to disrupt the college schedule. Despite the inconvenience to the janitor, who had to strike the bell with a hammer until the clapper was replaced,the college schedule was maintained. For some inexplicable reason, this rather juvenile exploit was adopted as a rite of passage by suceeding freshman classes; and despite waning enthusiasm, it has been routinely reenacted over the years.

Is this where Johnny Carson's 'clean copper clappers' tongue-twister gag came from?

I'm not sure of that.
I do remember that last year someone tried to ring the Liberty Bell by striking (and denting) it with hammer.