Western Courier

Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: News

Photograph by Mike Jagodzinski

Rumors of Simpkins Hall being haunted have circulated for years. A variety of ghosts are said to lurk in one of the oldest buildings on campus, with the first ghost, Harold, was reported in about 1980. It has been rumored that Harold is either a former graduate student or a janitor, neither of which can be backed by historical context.

Judi Hardin, English & Journalism secretary, attended school when Simpkins was the Western Illinois University Lab School (K-12) from 1960-1970. Upon returning to Simpkins as a secretary in the '80s, she found the Harold rumors implausible since news of a graduate student's death would have spread. Hardin also notes that there were never any ghost stories while she and her siblings attended the Lab School.

Hardin has heard that Harold resides in Simpkins 343. According to graduate students from 1998-2004, Harold makes his presence known by messing with lights, computers and doors.

"I did get rid of a bunch of typewriters a while back. Supposedly Harold typed on them at night. Sorry, Harold…" said English professor Bradley Dilger.

Now-retired creative writing professor David Stevenson once told English professor Edward Parkinson about Harold's passion for typing.

Stevenson had heard typing inside his office on the first floor just after locking up. Upon reopening the door, the typing stopped, and nobody was found inside.

Parkinson himself had an abnormal experience in the '80s. He was taking a break from grading papers, walking down the third floor hallway, at around 2 or 3 a.m. when he discovered he was not alone in the building.

Glancing to his right, he saw a figure in the stairwell of 343, which can be seen through windows in the doors. Parkinson described the figure as an older woman of about 70 or so. She was sweeping the steps with a broom.

Parkinson kept walking, thinking it was just a janitor, until he realized what time it was. Returning to the spot of his sighting moments later, the stairwell was vacated.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life before," he said.

Parkinson admits that he tends to believe that the paranormal exists, but he remains skeptical of particular reports of it within Simpkins.

Journalism assistant professor Mark Butzow has spent many hours in Simpkins, some of which were accompanied by his three children.

Continued...

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