Mary White Dormitory, Cumberland University

Tennessee · United States · School

Two students stayed on in halls before the Christmas break. A man had escaped from a prison a few towns over. They agreed a secret knock.

The story attached to the Mary White dormitory at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee runs as follows. Two roommates were staying on in halls for a few days before leaving for the Christmas break. A murderer had escaped from a prison a few towns away, and the students had been told to keep their doors locked.

One of the girls needed the bathroom. Before she went, the two agreed a secret knock so that the one inside would know who was at the door.

Anyone who has heard this before knows exactly where it goes, and that is the point of including it. This is the legend folklorists call the Roommate's Death, and it is told at hundreds of American campuses with local names attached to it. It is not true at any of them.

It survives because it is about the two things student accommodation actually feels like at the end of term: being alone in a building meant for hundreds, and a locked door.

FAQ

Where is Mary White Dormitory, Cumberland University located?

Mary White Dormitory, Cumberland University is in Tennessee, United States.