The Ghost of Floyd Collins Comes to Marshall College

The following newspaper article comes from a February 24, 1925 edition of the Hinton Daily News, a newspaper based in Hinton, WV (Summers County). It immediately caught my attention because not only was it about a ghost—but a ghost that was seen in Huntington, WV at Marshall College, now Marshall University!

As the tale goes, Dean Beaumont, along with about 50 female students living in the girls’ dormitory heard an eerie, disembodied voice. The voice was praying for his life and freedom, with special mention of freeing his leg. And, as stated in the headline of the article, the ghost was believed to be none other than Floyd Collins. And even if you don’t recognize the name, you’ve probably come across the tragic death of Mr. Collins. 

Earlier that month, Floyd was exploring a new section of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave when he became wedged into a narrow crevice. Valiant efforts were made to free him, but the very few who were even brave enough to attempt reaching him could not quite get to him. His official date of death is recorded as February 13, 1925 and his body was left where he took his last breath. Newspapers across the nation carried daily updates on the rescue mission and surely, the young ladies of Marshall College were well aware of the situation.

In addition to the prayers, the ladies also reported hearing other strange sounds, including sobs and wails. The college president ordered an investigation into finding an explanation for the ghostly noises, but none was ever found, despite the fact that floorboards were ripped up and walls thoroughly examined.  

I thought surely the dormitory where these strange events took place nearly 100 years ago would have been long ago torn down, but thanks to a helpful archive of 1920′s era school catalogs digitized on the university’s webpage, I was able to discern that in February of 1925, the ladies’ dormitories were located in a space called College Hall, formerly Ladies’ Hall. College Hall survives today as the back section of the main administrative building known as Old Main!

So, if you ever find yourself walking the hallowed halls of the oldest building on campus, make sure you take a moment to stop and listen. You just might hear the cries of cave explorer Floyd Collins, still crying out for his life a century later.