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Tunnels, Pools, and Ghosts: Exploring Space at St. Catherine University Main Menu Introduction Brief History of St. Kate's Timeline of Buildings and Presidents Explore buildings on campus in the order they were built Derham Hall Building Overview from the only building to a base for the University Whitby Hall: Building Overview it only took 98 years for students to move out Chapel place of prayer and celebration Mendel Hall Basements and the Cold War Coeur de Catherine, St. Joseph's Hall and the Library how two spaces became one The Future Legend or History? unpacking the truth behind the stories Community Contribution Thank You Sources and Further Research Veronika Paprocka

Cardboard Toilet

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Toilet Seat Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Can Opener Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Toilet Paper Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Barrel of the toilet which would hold all items Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Rubber gloves with rubber bands to secure Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Chemical packets to keep things smelling fresh Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Menstrual Pads in both sizes heavy and regular Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Plastic Bag with 2 layers to keep everything secure Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Instructions for use Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Hose for Water Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet
Paper cups with lids for water Veronika Paprocka
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1. Cardboard Toilet

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Basements and the Cold War Basements have been used for a variety of purposes. Today some are used as classrooms while others are used as storage. By far their most interesting use was during the Cold War. The Cold War followed immediately after World War II, a period of heightened fear of atomic attacks and communism. This fear extended throughout the entire United States and its aftermath can be directly seen on campus. All the buildings on campus with adequate basements were declared “Fallout Shelters” by the Bureau of Civil Defense, the government agency charged with preparing the country for an atomic attack. These buildings were marked with silver and yellow signs and the campus was a shelter for the Highland Park community. In the event of an atomic attack, you would come to St. Kate’s and take shelter as the government figured out what to do next. Staying on campus during a crisis was not a five-star experience, think of it as camping in a basement. You had food and water and medicine and shelter but nothing was too extreme. And of course, the bathroom experience was similar. The Bureau of Civil Defense provided St. Kate’s with all the supplies including cardboard toilets. These were owned by the Bureau and after the war they were supposed to come pick them up, however with thousands of fallout shelters across the country they forgot about some of them. Today under the Visual Arts building there is a small collection of cardboard toilets a forgotten token to a time of great fear.

So why have forgotten about these toilets? Most likely because the time in which they existed was complicated for St. Kate’s. As the Cold War progressed St. Kate’s became less and less interested in helping with the Cold War effort. Initially, the university hosted first aid sessions but by the end they stopped replying to correspondences with the Bureau of Civil Defense. The memories of the Cold War are difficult because of the tensions we experienced then, these tensions still impact the way we think of our history today.

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