By Emma Gargiulo
Have you ever been on campus, studying or relaxing, and suddenly felt the air go cold? Perhaps you’ve felt like someone was watching you, but when you looked over your shoulder, no one was there.
No college campus is a stranger to ghost stories. If you were to go to any college campus, probably one of the first myths you would hear would be about a ghost. With some buildings dating back to the 1700s, DelVal is no exception.
I went far and wide interviewing DelVal students, staff, and alumni about myths and legends on campus. By far, the most talked about myth, the first thing mentioned in almost every interview, is that of the ghost in the library.
To understand the ghost of The Joseph Krauskopf Memorial Library, it is important to understand some of the library’s history. The library sits where the original school building, Pioneer Hall, once stood. Pioneer Hall has everything from dormitories, the mess hall, and classrooms. It was the epicenter of the National Farm School. Pioneer Hall devastatingly burnt down in February 1923. Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, the university’s founder, died four months later. The Joseph Krauskopf Memorial Library was constructed a year later in 1924. The building contains Dr. Joeseph Krauskopf’s personal library, as well as a replica of his home library and office know today as the memorial room. Also, in the replica office within the library sit the ashes of Dr. Joseph Krauskopf.
Perhaps it is because of all this rich history that many students and staff alike believe Dr. Joseph Krauskopf’s ghost haunts the library. Peter Kupersmith, the Library Director, has had many years of experience in DelVal’s library, and with the Dr. Krauskopf’s ghost. Mr. Kupersmith notes that there are a number of housekeepers here at the university that feel spooked cleaning the library at night, or who refuse to clean the library all together due to the ghost. Mr. Kupersmith told one story from 15 years ago of a custodian, Carlos, who was cleaning the library late at night. Carlos was cleaning in one of the wings of the library when he heard the front desk’s bell chime. The library was closed, and he was all alone, making it peculiar for the bell in the lobby to go off. Carlos went to go check on the bell and found nothing out of the ordinary, however once he returned to cleaning the bell went off again.
There are other small instances that students have experienced with the ghost of the library. Students believe that the bust statue of Dr. Krauskopf in the memorial room will sometimes move of its own accord. Another student once took a photo in the memorial room, and when they looked back they could see a dark form in the photo, similar in shape to a human, but the other student captured in the photograph recounted seeing nothing of the sort, despite seemingly looking right at the form in the photograph.
Mr. Kupersmith is among the many that believe Dr. Krauskopf’s ghost is within the library, but Mr. Kupersmith believes that Dr Krauskopf is a kind ghost.
“If you feel a presence in the library, don’t be alarmed. He is just keeping an eye on the students and wishing the best for them.”
Though Dr. Krauskopf is the most famous ghost on campus, he is not the only ghost. The other popular ghost is the ghost of Ulman 3rd. Ulman is one of the oldest dormitories on campus, built in 1923. The alleged story is that a young woman died in one of the rooms on the 3rd floor of Ulman Hall. Since then, students believe her ghost has stayed withing the dormitory. Dr. Shedlauskas, Co-Chair of the Department of Animal Science at DelVal, recounted that she once had a student who allegedly lived in the same room the spirit died in. The student told her professor that things would often move around in the room, and the student was unable to work at her desk due to the shifting objects. The desk seemed to be the most affected by the ghost.
Jordan Walp is another student who experience the ghost on Ulman 3rd. Jordan lived on Ulman 3rd in the 2022-2023 academic year. Jordan told me that in the fall semester they would often wake up between 1:00 and 3:00 am and either see or feel a presence standing by the closet. The presence had the appearance of a dark blob, and it felt like it was staring. Jordan said during our interview that the presence didn’t feel threatening, but rather like it was trying to say something. To manage the presence, and to be able to sleep through the night, Jordan began pulling a tarot card each night before the bed to give the ghost a chance to communicate. Once Jordan started doing this they were able to sleep through the night with out being woken.
I have also lived on Ulman 3rd. I was the Resident Assistant on the floor the same year Jordan lived there. Though I did not regularly feel a presence on the floor, I did dream of it one night. The dream took place in my dorm room and the hallway, and I had a feeling of being stuck there, like I couldn’t leave the floor. It was one of the most realistic dreams I have ever had. Looking back on the dream, perhaps how I felt in the dream is how the ghost felt on the floor.
The ghost of Dr. Joseph Krauskopf and the Ulman resident are by far the most talked about on campus, but with a university as old as ours there could be more. Thankfully, it seems none of the ghosts at this school are malicious, but instead curious and keeping an eye out for the students here at DelVal.
What do you think? Do you believe in the DelVal ghosts? Have you met any Ghosts of DelVal’s Past?