Professor Arthur Lynds Bigelow was Princeton's first carillonneur. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, he studied engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and went abroad in 1930 to attend the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen. He remained in Europe for 11 years during which time he became the carillonneur for Louvain University.

Fluent in several languages, Bigelow came to Princeton in 1941 and first taught German. He also became University Bellmaster. In 1942 he joined the Department of Graphics and Engineering Drawing, teaching courses in graphics and spatial analysis.

Although a skilled performer, Bigelow was best known as a designer. Throughout his career, he studied the technical aspects of bells and carillons from around the world, gaining valuable knowledge which he then applied to his craft. He wrote two books, The Carillon, and The Acoustically Balanced Carillon, both of which were published by Princeton University Press.