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The ghost of Goddard Hall: Building namesake rumored to be haunting engineering complex
By Jenna Candelaria, Staff Writer
The RoundUp
Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Goddard Hall--Are there ghosts?
Loud noises, weird footsteps and doors opening and closing on their own are common in Goddard Hall where, according to a rumor circulating New Mexico State University, a ghost haunts the building.
The stories vary on the death of the person who is allegedly haunting the building located on the NMSU Horseshoe. Interim Dean of Engineering Ken White said he heard some stories from staff members who were concerned about strange noises late at night while working alone.
“Over the years, people have talked about hearing doors open but finding no one there upon investigation,” White said. “It has been especially disturbing to the staff members working alone on the weekends.”
White said the namesake of the building, former Engineering Dean Ralph Willis Goddard, was electrocuted by faulty wiring and died in the building basement. White said the common myth is that the 80-year-old ghost haunting the building is Goddard himself.
“People think it is his spirit that is wandering the halls,” White said, adding that students can learn more about Goddard by reading the plaque in front of Goddard Hall.
Though people have spoken of strange noises and movement in Goddard Hall, White said he finds the only strange thing in the building is the colony of bats that live in the tower.
“The bats are pretty interesting, but nothing has happened to me personally,” White said.
NMSU graduate student Alexandro Paz said he heard that a student commited suicide by hanging himself from the bell tower.
“I don’t know if it’s just a campus myth or an urban legend,” Paz said. “But maybe [the suicide] is the reason the tower is sealed up, why nobody is allowed up there.”
While some students have heard different stories about ghosts, others have never heard the campus myth. Engineering student Melody Duran said she has not heard of any ghost in Goddard Hall.
“It’s a scary building, but I have never heard of any ghosts,” Duran said. “It’s one of those places you don’t want to be alone in.”
According to www.nmsu.edu, Goddard Hall was designed and supervised by college faculty and built with student labor. It was completed in 1913. The building was dedicated to the late dean of engineering, Goddard, after his death on Dec. 31, 1929 in the transmitter room of the radio station KOB FM.
Jenna Candelaria is a staff writer and can be reached at trunews@nmsu.edu