FAST FACTS:
- Established: 1909 (men’s), 1972 (women’s)
- Major Renovation: 2016
- Mascot: Wild Women
- Colors: Dark Blue/Light Blue
- Location: God Quad
- Chapel: Chapel of the Visitation
- Number of Floors: 4
- Sinks in Rooms: Yes
- Elevator: Yes; Air Conditioning: No
- Modular Furniture: Yes, all rooms
- Signature Events: Mr. ND, Pie Your President
Welcome to Walsh Hall, home of the WILD Women! Walsh is home to 160 women and is a tight-knit and spirited community.
Established in 1909, Walsh is named after Notre Dame’s sixth president, Father Thomas Walsh C.S.C, who is credited as the instigator of Notre Dame’s first intercollegiate football team in 1887. Handpicked by Fr. Sorin, Walsh was only 28 when he became the sixth president of Notre Dame — the same age Sorin was when he founded the university. It’s said that Walsh pushed the University to expand its curriculum and raise its standards before he died at 40 years old.
In 1967 the hall’s rector, Father Dan O’Neil, CSC, took the then-controversial action of making Walsh into a “stay-hall,” where students could live all four years if they so chose (now the norm campuswide).
In 1972, the year that women were first admitted to Notre Dame, Walsh was one of the first halls for women. Walsh still had urinals when the first female students arrived, but the fixtures were hidden by planters.
Walsh was considered a “luxurious” dorm in its early days; not only did Walsh boast suites with private baths and bay windows and single rooms, but all of the rooms featured closets. In addition, Walsh had a recreation room in the basement. According to the 1910 DOME, “various devices of amusement,” such as pool tables and bowling alleys were in this recreation room and “during the winter months [the bowling alleys] were thronged with students.” While we are no longer have a bowling alley, we definitely have character and lots of fun! Our location can’t be beat, as we are close to pretty much everything and having a view of God Quad never gets old.
Walsh Hall is located in the center of campus and faces the main quad (“God Quad”), which holds the Administration building (the Dome), the Basilica, Sorin (the first guys’ dorm on campus), LaFortune Student Center (LaFun), Crowley Hall of Music, and Hayes-Healy (where most math classes are).
In 2011 we were awarded “Best Freshmen Orientation Program” and “Women’s Hall of the Year.” 2012 saw us claim the championship in Interhall Lacrosse and in the Dorm Energy Competition. In 2013, we took trips to the Interhall Championships for both Flag Football and Lacrosse, won Brother-Sister Hall of the year, and broke a record at Washington Hall for highest attendance at a student event with the Mr. ND Pageant. In 2014-2015, we were recognized for Best New Event for “Pie Your President,” Best Diversity Event for the “I AM WILD” Photo Campaign, and “Brother-Sister Dorm of the Year” again! The participation and investment from the community in Walsh continues to grow exponentially as our inaugural Walsh Overnight in Michigan (snow tubing hill, s’mores, need I say more?) capped at 72–we had a waitlist–and our BigSis Apple-Picking event had over 50 participants. We had an amazingly popular Harry Potter Spirit Week, complete with a Yule Ball Winter Formal and we won the Interhall LaCrosse Championship…again!
Oh, and we won Hall. Of. The. Year.
Since then, we’ve won Best Hall Council, Women’s Hall of the Year TWICE (#cantstopwontstop) and prepared to move ourselves to Pangborn to allow our beloved home to be renovated. When we returned, we were thrilled to explore new traditions and deepen our existing ones while we grew closer together as a community.
Welcome home, Walshies!