America's Most Haunted Colleges and Universities

Well, it's that time of year again!  We're back to school, and what better way to make sure freshman sleep with the lights on than to do a run down of America's Most Haunted Colleges and Universities?

Most of this information is from a list of haunted colleges in America I found on www.collegeconsensus.com.  Check them out...if you dare:

Smith College, North Hampton, MA:  If you're a freshman taking classes at the largest women's college in America, don't be surprise if you are asked to find the secret staircase in Sessions House.  According to legend, a pair of star-crossed lovers, a British soldier and an American girl, would meet on these stairs, and their ghosts are said to still haunt the facility.

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN:  Known for the Fighting Irish, football legend Knute Rockne, and the original collegiate marching band, this prominent Catholic university is also known for haunted Washington Hall.  The story goes that legendary All-American football star George Gipp rides a phantom white horse up the stairs and through the corridors of this campus' theatre built in 1881.

Kenyon College, Gambier, OH:  One of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in the Midwest, this school is also know for the ghost of Stuart Pierson, a young man who died in a 1905 fraternity hazing gone wrong.  Supposedly, his frat brothers left him tied to a trestle bridge one night promising they would return.  Unfortunately, he was struck by a train and killed before his brothers could do so.  Today, members of the fraternity carry a coffin to the bridge and read Pierson's coroner report on the anniversary of his death.

Flagler College,-St. Augustine, St. Augustine, FL:  While this school may only be fifty years-old, it is located in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.  Students here have reported waking up in their dorm rooms to find a ghostly woman standing at the foot of their beds.  This apparition is said to be the ghost of a distraught, pregnant woman who threw herself down a flight of stairs when her lover went back to his wife.

University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX:  Located in the heart of Houston's famed Montrose District, this trendy university is known for an angry soul that judges those who enter the Chapel of St. Basil.  According to some, this fault-finding spirit hates prostitutes and thieves.  So, make sure your soul is pure, or else this spirit may just damn you straight to hell!

California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA:  Close to sunny Los Angeles, this university was built on the grounds of notorious Camarillo State Mental Hospital, which ran from 1937 to 1997.  During those years, over 1,000 patients died there due to shock therapy treatments.  While no specific ghosts have been reported, the school was used in the horror movie "The Ring" in 2002.

East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN:  Considered to be one of the most haunted campuses in the U.S., ETSU's paranormal activity reports could fill a book.  Not only is the library purportedly haunted, but several resident halls house spirits that include a small boy who drops marbles, as well as a young woman who enjoys turning the water faucets on and off.

Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY:  A university with a rich history, Clarkson also holds the honor of having the late Wes Craven teach humanities there during the 1960's.  As such, many believe that the boiler room under the campus's theatre served as the inspiration for Freddy Krueger's demonic lair.  In addition, the school boasts a fraternity house on Potsdam's Elm Street that had once been a funeral parlor.  Coincidence?