Annual Traditions: Soul Sisters, Sustainable Thanksgiving, Apple Picking Field Trip, Walsh Overnight Retreat, Parents Weekend, Fall & Spring Spirit WILD Weeks, Fall SYR Dance, Spring Formal Dance, and more!
FAST FACTS:
Established: 1909 (men's), 1972 (women's)
Major Renovation: 2016-2017
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: Only in common areas
Accessible: Yes
Modular Furniture: Yes, all rooms
Signature Events: Mr. ND, Walsh Dodgeball
Location
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).
Legacy: Fr. Ted Hesburgh lived in Walsh!
Fr. Ted (3rd from right, top row) on the steps of Walsh, probably when he was staying here in 1945.