While there are many strange stories surrounding the WSU campus, I choose to focus in on one of the most popular tale. Which is that of the Bryan Hall ghost. First a little background, Bryan Hall was built in 1909 when it was a building of dominating size. Back then it served as the main library and also the assembly hall. The clock was oddly added 3 years after construction. In 1946 the glowing red lights were added to the clock bringing an extra eeriness to the building, especially after the chimes were added in ’48 bringing additional air of slow, old and cold. These things about the building and the massive portrait of E.A. Bryan in the main hallway give the building the exact mood for visitors to become aware of paranormal existences. Enoch Albert Bryan, for who the building is named, was the college’s 3rd president but first long-term. Bryan seemed to be an inspiring intellect and influential administrator. At the age of 28 he became the president of a university in Indiana. After 10 years on the job he obtained his master’s degree in classical studies from Harvard and moved to the Palouse to become the president of the then named Washington Agricultural College and School of Science. E.A. Bryan spent the next 23 years growing the college and putting it on the right track to become what it is today. This was mainly accomplished by his efforts to defeat political pressure to keep the school as purely agricultural and science. His efforts were formally recognized on March 12th 1905 when the school was officially renamed to The State College of Washington. Five after his presidency ended in 1915 he came back as a professor for an additional 16 years until 1939, gaining four honorary doctorate of law degrees in that time. Two years later, on November 6th 1941 he died.

 

 

The first major account was from Richard Uthmann who graduated in 1960. Back when he was in school he was the stage manager for Bryan Hall, which was then used for both drama and music productions and practices. Because of the building’s importance it was in constant use so Mr. Uthmann would normally adjust the large overhead stage lights at night after it was locked up and closed to students. To gain access to the lights Mr. Uthmann had to go through the clock tower which strangely enough was separated by a heavy metal door. Past this door were two floors within the clock tower which were mainly used for storage of stage property. One day, Mr. Uthmann accompanied his instructor up in the clock tower to check on equipment and noticed a lone rocking chair situated in the middle of the room with nothing around it. As it definitely seemed out of place he attempted to put it with some of the other chairs when his teacher told him to leave it there as it belonged to E.A. Bryan who kept it there. Dismissive as students can be, the next time Mr. Uthmann went up there to fix the lights he moved E.A Bryan’s chair with others as was his initial impulse. As he check on the lights he heard the metal door open and close with no one entering. Assuming it was the janitor checking on him he proceeded to adjust the hot lights until he felt a bizarre cold sensation pass around him. At this point Mr. Uthmann decided it was getting kind of creepy for him and he “quickly” finished the lights and made a point to get out. Upon exiting, the chair was set back in the middle of the room once again, only this time it was rocking. Mr. Uthmann later recounts that the rocking seemed to last for at least a minute before succumbing to his wariness of the situation and leaving. Continuing on as the stage manager Mr. Uthmann never again moved the chair, unless it was completely necessary and even then only for the least amount of time possible. In an odd twist he claimed that he never again felt the coldness of that night and finishes his account by saying “Some things you just don’t mess with.”

 

 

The second major account which was published in Washington State Magazine is from Janis Clarke Waley who graduated in 1970. One of her first encounters with strange occurrences was when was in the 1st storage room when she was returning items. She clearly heard bootsteps come from above her in the top floor of the clock tower even though she was the only one in the tower. The steps must have been quite scary as she left the room and told the technical director that she would finish in the morning. When he asked why she was quitting so soon she admitted that she was freaked out by what she claimed was the presence of E.A Bryan. This was no shock to the director as he himself had similar encounters and let her retire for the night. Another night she was leaving the building with a friend when she heard organ music playing. This was not uncommon as people practiced there at night. When they went to go see who was playing they were met by an empty room. Not only was the room empty and the music that was playing ceased but also there was a large heavy material that was covering the organ. The two were confused by the lack of someone and then thoroughly creeped out since it wouldn’t have been possible for the cover to put back on so quickly and still have time for someone to disappear. Again Janis believed it to be a sign and removed herself from the premises as she couldn’t stomach the idea of sticking around to investigate. According to her E.A. as she referred to Bryan as, greatly reduced his activity after the theater department moved to Daggy Hall.

 

 

There are many rumors and attempted explanations of lesser encounters surrounding the building by mostly music and theater majors. The rumors are reinforced by some facts about Enoch A. Bryan. Of course he had a strong connection with the school being here for 39 years, so much that people say that the chair rocks because back in the day Bryan would sit up there and love to watch the university grow into what it is today. This of course is still made possible by the lone rocking chair still up there. I spoke to a music student who was up in the rocking chair room within the month and he described the scene as “Creepy as ….” I’ll let you guess the blank. Along with the close connection, E.A. apparently was a fan of ghost stories himself. This is purported by Lee Bannister, an electrical maintenance man for the university. I learned that the library archives has a box that contains an essay written by Bryan entitled “A True Ghost Story”. Finally many are further convinced of his presence due to his death being within a week of Halloween, and his funeral being held in Bryan Hall itself. Of the smaller rumors several claim that the eyes of E.A. Bryan’s portrait in the main hallway will follow you. Furthering the perfect Halloween setting is another factoid from Lee Bannister in that apparently the basement of Bryan Hall is referred to as the ‘catacombs’  due to its dirt floor with several odd mounds that are often described as grave-like. Often claims of moaning and whistling sounds have been reported but are often dismissed as just wind, clock gears, and pigeons. I will leave this story up for you to decide but for me there are too many coincidences and just eerie things about the building for me not to give credence to the possibility.