History
Alice Littlefield Haunts the University of Texas in Austin
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Later in life legend has it that poor Alice was locked away in the attic for quite a long period of time to keep her safe from the Yankees. She developed a severe mental illness and lived in fear of being murdered or kidnapped. This made her prone to nervous fits of hysteria. On one occasion, she ran down the stairs screaming for her life and had to be restrained. George Littlefield wrote that when a doctor advised him to take Alice to a sanitarium, he absolutely refused but he hired three nurses.
George Littlefield died of pneumonia in 1920. His wife was devastated but, after some time had passed her nervous condition improved. She regained her confidence and resumed a very active social life. She spent much of her time with relatives and her UT friends. She loved her home and entertaining but was rarely seen in public.
Alice died in 1935 at the age of 88. She left her beloved home to the university. Today the ground floor has been refurbished and is used for university functions. The upstairs is designated for office and storage space. The Littlefield Dormitory on campus was named in her honor.
Shortly after her death The University of Texas became inundated with numerous reports of creepy occurrences. The most ominous ghost stories seemed to be coming from the Littlefield house. Daily ghost sightings were reported. Eerie and squeaking noises along with bone-chilling images fluttering through this historic landmark were spotted by numerous people in town and on campus. The sound of running on the staircase and screams of fright are heard nightly. Rumors persist today that Alice Littlefield haunts the Littlefield Dormitory. Almost all of these stories paint the ghost of Alice Littlefield as a friendly ghost. She seems to take good care of the dorm’s residents and visitors.
