Transfer of Bodies to the Chapel
It was 3 a.m. and a group of men, who were hired without knowing what their job would be, congregated at the original burial grounds of the Duke family men. Washington, James and Benjamin Duke were all then dug up, and their bodies were transferred to the newly built Memorial Chapel in the Chapel. The grave-diggers could only guess at the motives for the secret, early-morning move!
Mysterious Garden Sightings
Twenty years ago, during an evening walk through the Gardens, a student ran screaming into the street after supposedly having seen several "ghost-like figures" swimming in the pond. Some people have left ashes of their dead loved ones in the Gardens, and there has been speculation that the cremated have returned as spooks. Maybe President William Few's son, who is buried there, is one of those ghosts!
Psychic Communes with J.B. Duke
In the Duke chapel crypt, a psychic had a vision of James B. Duke dressed as Jesus. He told her to "Go see Doris. Tell Doris that I want her to support financial efforts to find the truth." The psychic approached President Terry Sanford and asked him if he could arrange a meeting with Doris Duke. This sighting in the crypt may mean that James B. Duke wasn't properly buried from the very beginning!
Duke conducts parapsychology studies
True to its role as a research university, Duke covered all aspects of science... including the paranormal. The University hired Dr. Joseph Rhine in 1927 to run the parapsychology research lab. It was during this time that Durham became known as the home of Dr. Rhine and his paranormal studies. The CIA even used Rhine researchers to psychically spy on the Soviet Union during the Cold War!
Mysterious Gardens Sightings is the only story that isn't true. Although President Few's son is buried there, and there have been numerous reports of ashes being scattered in the Gardens, as far as we know there have been no sightings of ghosts frolicking in the pond--or students running screaming out of the Gardens after seeing phantoms. Congratulations if you guessed correctly.
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