The Kansas university that a tornado couldn’t kill – Topeka’s Washburn University

Washburn University’s F5 Tornado and "Trailer Tech" Recovery

On June 8, 1966, a monster F5 tornado cut right through Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. The half-mile wide twister wiped out five historic buildings and hurt every structure on campus.

It even tossed a 300-pound wall chunk two miles away and dropped a car on the football field. Yet just three months before, the school had fully insured all buildings.

President Henderson never thought about closing. Instead, classes moved to a high school while FEMA trailers arrived on campus.

Soon, students called their school “Trailer Tech” as they studied in mobile units for years. Today, Washburn’s Kuehne Bell Tower stands tall, its bells saved from the ruins of that fateful day.

A Monster Tornado Formed West of Topeka

A killer twister hit at 7:00 PM on June 8, 1966, forming near Auburn in southwest Shawnee County. This huge tornado grew to half-mile wide, cutting a 22-mile path across Topeka.

Weather folks called it an F5, the strongest kind with winds over 250 mph.

The funnel stayed on the ground for 34 minutes before lifting near the Topeka airport, leaving a trail of damage.

Washburn Campus Took a Direct Hit

The tornado cut diagonally through the middle of Washburn University, damaging every building in its path.

The storm showed its strength in crazy ways – a 300-pound chunk of stone wall flew two miles from where it started.

One car got picked up, carried over the ROTC building, and dropped right on the football field’s 50-yard line.

Historic Buildings Crumbled to Rubble

Five old campus buildings couldn’t stand up to the tornado. Rice Hall, built in 1874, fell completely.

MacVicar Chapel, standing since 1890, turned into a pile of stones. Boswell Hall, the old library, also crumbled along with Crane Observatory and Thomas Gymnasium.

Only a stained glass window from Boswell Hall and the bells from Thomas Gymnasium made it through.

The Hutton Family Faced the Storm Head-On

Chris Hutton and his family saw the tornado up close as the only people outside on campus during the storm. They tried hiding by Morgan Hall’s doors but got cut by flying glass when the doors blew out.

After the tornado passed, National Guardsmen helped them flip their upside-down Corvair car. Hutton later said they looked like “three freaks” covered in mud and scratches.

School Leaders Refused to Shut Down

President John Henderson and the Board of Regents decided to keep the university open after the disaster. Lucky for them, just three months earlier, they had reinsured every campus building for top dollar.

Mayor Charles Wright, who also sat on the Board of Regents, backed the choice to keep going. Summer school went ahead at Topeka West High School and local churches while cleanup started.

Crews Worked All Summer to Clear the Mess

Workers spent summer 1966 clearing tons of rubble from campus. Crews fixed countless broken windows and damaged roofs on buildings they could save.

By fall, they got Stoffer Hall fixed and ready for classes.

The campus looked totally different – hundreds of trees that grew for decades vanished, taking away the leafy shade that once covered the school grounds.

Mobile Classrooms Arrived Just in Time

A small village of federal trailer classrooms popped up on campus by fall. Workers grouped these trailers into clusters named after the destroyed buildings they replaced.

President Henderson worked with Mayor Wright to get these temporary structures from the federal government.

Thanks to their quick work, fall classes started on time in 1966, even with the campus looking like a construction site.

Students Joked About Attending “Trailer Tech”

Washburn students quickly nicknamed their school “Trailer Tech” while taking classes in the mobile trailers.

Nobody loved studying in these small, cramped spaces month after month, but students liked that the school kept moving forward.

The nickname stuck as students kept taking classes in these trailers into the early 1970s while new buildings slowly went up around them.

Mayor Wright Won the Battle for Air Conditioning

Mayor Wright went to Washington to meet with former Florida Governor Ferris Bryant, who ran the Office of Emergency Planning (now FEMA). President Henderson asked Wright to push for air conditioning in the trailers.

When federal officials suggested parking trailers under trees, Wright simply said, “We had a tornado and don’t have any trees. ” His direct approach worked – the trailers got air conditioning for Kansas summer classes.

New Buildings Rose From the Ruins

Construction projects quickly took shape across campus. The Memorial Union addition, already underway when the tornado hit, continued without delay.

Morgan Hall got a new west wing in 1967, built with three stories instead of two to maximize classroom space. The Garvey Fine Arts Center opened in 1968, followed by the Law School in 1969.

The Henderson Learning Center, named for the president who led the recovery, completed the major rebuilding phase when it opened in 1971.

Washburn Bounced Back Stronger Than Before

Within five years after the tornado, all classrooms lost in the disaster had been replaced with permanent buildings. The university shifted from rebuilding mode to growth mode, adding new academic programs.

The School of Nursing started in 1974, and business departments got organized into the School of Business.

Through this remarkable recovery, Washburn transformed into a more career-focused institution while keeping its liberal arts tradition alive – proving that even an F5 tornado couldn’t keep this university down.

Visiting Washburn University, Kansas

You can visit Washburn University at 1700 SW College Avenue in Topeka to learn about the 1966 F5 tornado that destroyed five buildings. Schedule campus tours through the admissions office at 785.670. 1030, with free parking available.

Check out tornado photos in Memorial Union’s upper level north lounge and see stained glass from destroyed Boswell Hall in White Concert Hall.

You can also take a self-guided walking tour of tornado memorial sites around campus.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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