Your Guide to Purdue Myths and Legends

By Purdue WIEP - October 16, 2023

As you might have seen in our last post, Purdue’s campus is rich in history that is full of traditions and some myths. In this blog post, we will cover some of these and give you an overview of the history behind all these Purdue stories.

Bell Tower

The Purdue Bell Tower, as previously discussed in our last post, was built in 1995. The most common myth that all Purdue students know is that walking directly under the Bell Tower will delay a student’s graduation. Though there is no “evidence” to suggest that this is the case, many students will go out of their way to avoid crossing under the bells. Another myth related to the Bell Tower is that couples who kiss under the bell tower will get married. This is another hard to prove myth, but an article about Purdue myths by Purdue alumni share anecdotes from couples who tested this myth and proved it to be true.

John Purdue’s Will

There are many theories tied to John Purdue and his famed will. John Purdue was Purdue’s first benefactor who was responsible for giving Purdue University its name and funds to become an important university. One such theory is that in his will, John Purdue stated that Purdue must always be under construction to keep the University up to date with the developing technology and always be an innovative leader for the future to come. Another theory was that all buildings on campus must be shorter than University Hall which is technically true due to the different area code for the top floors of Bearing Hall and the Math building is on “stilts” of sorts that skirts these rules. However, it turns out that John Purdue had no such will that created these rules, and the theories are mere coincidences. Nonetheless, John Purdue would still have gotten his way as Purdue University has consistently ranked in the top 50 most innovative companies in the world as the only university on the list.

Purdue Fountains

Purdue has many fountains on campus that each have their own traditions associated with them. During Boiler Gold Rush (BRG), which is the orientation program for new Purdue students, students can participate in the Fountain Run which involves the Purdue Mall Fountain (often referred to as the “Engineering Fountain”), the Loeb Fountain, and the Stone Lion Fountain. Whenever campus is particularly hot, groups of students can be seen participating in the Fountain Run loop to cool off. Another tradition that students partake in before exams is drinking from the Stone Lion Fountain for good luck. Students can be seen drinking from each of the lion heads before heading off to their exams in Elliot Hall, which is one of the common locations for midterms and finals.

Clapping Circle

The Clapping Circle is located behind the Purdue Memorial Union (PMU) and is a common stop on tours and visits during BGR. One who claps at the center of the circle will hear an unexpected squeaking sound if they listen closely. While there are many debates about the source of the sound, the Purdue chapter of the Acoustical Society of America determined in 2020 that the source was a result of the sound waves reflecting from the grooves between the tiles that make up the circles.

Nuclear Reactor

There are many theories related to past and current research projects on Purdue’s campus. One especially interesting legend about Purdue is that there is a nuclear reactor on campus, specifically underneath the Engineering Mall. While Purdue is home to Indiana’s first and only operating nuclear reactor, it is in the sub-basement of the Electrical Engineering building and it is used for research purposes. Students and the public can arrange tours to the reactor. For more information about this, visit the Purdue Nuclear Engineering website.

While we covered some of the myths, legends, and traditions on Purdue’s campus, there are still various others to explore. You can always delve into your own research and visit the Purdue Exponent who has their own article covering some of the theories listed here along with others or you can come see the traditions yourself by making a visit to campus. Happy exploration!

Lily Brodzinski, ChE '25

Recruitment Project Committee

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