History
Walsh Hall was built in 1909. It was named after Notre Dame’s sixth president, Father Thomas Walsh, who is credited as the instigator of Notre Dame’s first intercollegiate football team in 1887. 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."
In 1972, the year that women were first admitted to Notre Dame, Walsh, along with Badin, was renovated to become a women's dorm. One of the smallest dorms on campus, Walsh houses 190 women.
Walsh Hall is located in the center of campus and faces the main quad, which holds the Administration building (the Dome), the Basilica, and Sorin College (the first guys’ dorm on campus), LaFortune Student Center (which holds Starbucks, Subway, Sbarro, and Burger King, if you’re just not feeling the dining hall), Crowley Hall of Music, and Hayes-Healy (where most Math classes are). The main quad is more widely known as “God Quad,” which would seem to make us the holiest women on campus (but you can decide for yourself). The rooms facing the quad have a beautiful view of the Golden Dome. The rooms facing the back look out to Coleman-Morse Center (the First Year of Studies / Campus Ministry Building) and some also have a nice view of Bond Hall, the architecture building.
Walsh’s convenient location gives us Wild Women quick access to South Quad, which includes several guys’ dorms (Alumni, Dillon, Fisher and Morrissey), South Dining Hall, the Rock (one of the sports facilities), and some of the other girls’ dorms (Howard, Lyons, and Pangborn). We are also a minute’s walk from the Basilica, Main Building, the LaFortune Student Center, and Main Circle (a convenient place to get dropped off and picked up).