Our first story dates back to 1993, but has its roots much earlier. It occurred one dark night on the campus of Ohio Dominican College (now Ohio Dominican University). Sister Ulela Wehrle, a member of the founding Dominican sister’s congregation, died in 1959. Her family had donated the funds for the construction of Wehrle Hall which was built well before Sister Wehrle’s death. Sister Wehrle spent a considerable amount of time in Wehrle Hall as many of her art classes were held there and her office was also in Wehrle Hall.
Following her death, students began reporting “strange goings on” in the basement of Wehrle Hall, raising the suspicion with some that Wehrle Hall was haunted by the spirit of Sister Wehrle herself.
On July 15, 1993, Wehrle caught fire. It was summer, and virtually no-one was on campus. A phone call was placed to the fire department notifying them and asking that they “come quickly.” The caller provided specific instructions on how to get to the location of the fire including the particular campus sidewalks to take.
Thankfully, the firefighters arrived in time and the building was saved. Later investigation revealed that Wehrle Hall had been locked with no one inside at the time of the fire. Information provided to the police by the “elderly female” caller was inaccurate in some ways. For example, the sidewalks described by the caller did not exist. Sisters, however pointed out that they did exist at the time of Sister Wehrle’s death. Finally, and most compelling….the call that was made in the middle of the night, just in time to save Wehrle Hall, was made….. from inside the building.
Campus Video: Check out our video compilation of photos (including Wehrle Hall) taken at our last campus visit to Ohio Dominican University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfJsnrGcqJg
About the Author: After touring 60 of the best colleges in Ohio, Dr. Jay, a prior faculty member and dean, founded College Bound Advantage (CBA); a Columbus Ohio college consulting firm. CBA specializes in helping families optimize college selection around 15 “fit factors.” College Bound Advantage serves all of Ohio including Cleveland, Akron, and Cincinnati metro areas.
In order to purchase a more extensive proprietary “Campus Field Report” on any Ohio college discussed, click here: https://collegeboundadvantage.com/campus-field-report-access/
