Many people know Chaminade is located on Kalaepohaku or that the men’s basketball team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in basketball history in 1982 versus the University of Virginia or that the women’s volleyball team is currently ranked number one in the west region. But there’s so much more history here than that, and much of it is dark and macabre.
Much of this research is accredited to Brother Tom Jalbert, archivist for Chaminade University of Honolulu at the Sullivan Library. Jalpert has spent over 30 years on Kalaepohaku (the Hawaiian name given to the hillside Chaminade is on).
Turtle Bench
An oblong turtle bench can be found on the walkway just above Third Road, to the right of the staircase to Brogan Hall and the Behavioral Science building. The dedication for the original placement of the bench is for Shirley Lynn who passed away in 2009. The bench has since been moved to the other side of the walkway. Lynn was a former employee at the university who worked in the Business Office.
Wiegand Observatory
Chaminade has an observatory named Wiegand Observatory located near Kieffer Hall at the top of campus. The observatory’s dedication was in 2003 and was first run by Chaminade professor David Cooke. The computer-based observatory was controlled by the Wiegand Physics Laboratory in Henry Hall, according to an archived article in the Sullivan Library. The observatory is no longer in use, as the building was in need of constant repair. Its last usage is unknown.
5 Original Buildings
Chaminade University opened in 1955, but Saint Louis College predates Chaminade, opening in 1927. Each of the five original buildings of Chaminade University was named after the Marianist brothers who helped found the school. Three of the five are owned by Chaminade University: Eiben Hall, the Administrative Building, (which was later renamed Fretis Hall and then to T.C. Ching Hall), and Henry Hall. Newell Hall and Bertram Hall (which was also later renamed as T.C. Ching Hall) belong to Saint Louis School.
Chaminade Hospital
The day Pearl Harbor was attacked, martial law was declared. On Dec. 8, 1941, Chaminade was selected to be used as a hospital and was named the Provisional Hospital-147 General Hospital. Henry Hall was used as the surgical ward. Newell Hall was used as the research and testing labs. Eiben Hall was used as the cafeteria. The T.C. Ching building owned by Chaminade was repurposed as a place for the brothers to live during wartime.
There was a morgue on campus, but no one can seemingly agree on where it was. The Environmental and Interior Design lounge in Eiben Hall, part of T.C. Ching, and inside Henry Hall are all suspected as having housed the morgue.
Haunted Chaminade
Chaminade is no stranger to strange occurrences, according to a display in the Sullivan Library during the month of October. In the same display, it mentions that there can be sounds heard of young children playing and laughing. It is said that if you interact with the children, they see you as a playmate and invite the spirits to stay with you. The most popular of the rumored Chaminade hauntings is in Hale Lokelani Room 208 where two main theories have emerged. Either an exorcism was performed in the room or a suicide occurred in the room. In any case, an outline of a crucifix can be found in the room. It is the only room with a crucifix in the whole building.