Vancouver  

 Sundial: 659
State/Province:  Washington Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Equatorial Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 45° 38.077' N  122° 39.051' W
Location:
  • Clark College
    100 m SE of Chime Tower, at SW corner of Anna Pechanec Hall
    1933 Fort Vancouver Way
    Vancouver, Washington
 
Description:
  • A 2 meter diameter ring equatorial dial of welded anodized aluminum plate. The equatorial arc has Arabic hour numerals delineated with quarter-hour marks. This equatorial arc can be moved for longitude correction and DST, and was originally adjusted to periodically correct for EOT. In 2009, the original straight gnomon was replaced with a very nice analemmic gnomon, eliminating the need to adjust or correct for EOT.

    The dial was recognized on its 40th anniversary in 2026. The Columbian, a local newspaper in Clark County, WA headlined "More than 40 years after its creation, Clark College's sundial endures as a symbol of the Vancouver institution's commitment to high-level education and community involvement. “I think it’s reflective of how this community felt, and probably still feels, about their college,” said Sue Groth, who served as the college’s director of college and community relations from 1980 to 2005.

    Photos were available showing Tony Moss from the UK examining the dial and new analemmatic gnomon in 2009. The last photo shows Fred Sawyer (blue shirt to left) explaining how the analemmatic gnomon works.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Clark College
  • Plaque lists those involved in original design and construction.
  • Designer: Carlton Bell; 2009 analemmic gnomon by Art Krenzel
  • Builder: Students of Clark College; analemmic gnomon by Art Krenzel
  • Construction Date: 1986; new gnomon 2009, still operating 2026
 
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Last Revised: 2026-05-06 15:59:00