Walsh Hall

Walsh Hall is one of 27 residence halls at the University of Notre Dame. It is one of 13 female dorms on campus. It is located directly north of Sorin Hall and is on the corner of God Quad and South Quad.

History

Walsh Hall is named after Fr. Thomas Walsh, who was the 6th president of Notre Dame and is credited as the founder of the Fighting Irish football program (he allowed the first intercollegiate game to be played, against Michigan in 1887). It was constructed in 1909 as a men's dorm and then was converted to a women's dorm in 1972 when the university went co-ed. In 1967, the hall's rector made Walsh a "stay-in" dorm, where students could live all four years. Other dorms followed suit and this is now the norm on the ND campus. There is a long-standing opinion that Walsh is the premier female hall on campus, due to its long-standing tradition, central location, gorgeous exterior, and all-around good reputation. In the early years, the basement of Walsh was home to a very popular bowling alley. During World War II, Walsh was a very important dorm, as it housed the Naval ROTC unit.

Traditions

Walsh's mascot/nickname is the W.I.L.D. women, with the acronym standing for Wise In Life Decisions. The hall colors are white and baby blue. Every fall they host the Fall Frolic, a Catholic school-girl themed dance, and they have a formal in the spring. Wild Week is their spirit week; during this week the infamous Mr. ND pageant is held. Other events include Football 101, an event on south quad that brings players out to educate the student body about the ins-and-outs of football. Their brother dorm is currently Dillon Hall, after many years of being sister hall to Sorin College. The Walsh Hall football team is known for its high level of commitment.

Alumni

Notable alumnae in recent years include Hannah Storm '83, Regis Philbin's daughter, and the first female student body president, Brooke Norton '02. Prominent alumni include Quarterback Terry Hanratty '69, receiver Jim Seymour '69, basketball star Austin Carr '71, Walter LaBerge '44 (instrumental in developing missals used in the Gulf War), John Caron '45 (a former trustee of the University, awarded the Hesburgh Award for Ethics in Business), Roy Grumbine '44 (the first ND NROTC graduate killed in WW II), Henry Frailey '45 (who, since retirement from a business career, has been teaching a class in the School of Engineering) and William Klem '45 (a retired business executive and attorney who now is a volunteer tour director at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart). Father Theodore Hesburgh lived in Walsh for a year in 1945.

Links/References

Notre Dame Magazine [http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/su2002/walsh.html]
Walsh Hall Profile[http://www.nd.edu/~orlh/halls/walsh/index.htm]
Walsh Hall Website [http://www.nd.edu/~wild/]

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