Dillon Hall is one of the
32 Residence Halls on the campus of the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
and one of the 16 male dorms. It is located directly west of
Alumni Hall and is directly adjacent to
South Dining Hall
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
on the west. Dillon was built in 1931 and renovated for the 2020-2021 school year and many of the first floor rooms were converted to living and study areas. It is named after
Patrick Dillon, CSC, the second president of the university. The coat of arms is taken from the Dillon family. Together with other historic structures of the university, it is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
History
Construction of Dillon and Alumni was part of an extensive building program that started in the mid 20s and aimed at improving educational and living facilities, and increasing supply of on-campus residential facilities. The two dorms were expected to cost $850,000 and add host 500 students to reduce the housing shortage and increase on-campus students to 2,600. Ground was broken on March 2, 1931 and construction was contracted to Sollitt and Sons. Funds were collected through the Alumni Association and a $250,000 gift from the
General Education Board The General Education Board was a private organization which was used primarily to support higher education and medical schools in the United States, and to help rural white and black schools in the South, as well as modernize farming practices i ...
. An additional $52,000 came from the
1925 Rose Bowl.
![Dillon Alumni court](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Dillon_Alumni_court.jpeg)
Both halls were designed in 1931 by architects
Charles Donagh Maginnis
Charles Donagh Maginnis (January 7, 1867 – February 15, 1955) was an Irish-American architect. He emigrated to Boston at age 18, trained as an architect and went on to form the firm Maginnis & Walsh, designing ecclesiastical and campus buildin ...
and
Timothy Walsh in
Collegiate Gothic
Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europ ...
style. The
Maginnis & Walsh
Maginnis & Walsh was an architecture firm started by Charles Donagh Maginnis and Timothy Walsh in 1905. It was known for its innovative design of churches in Boston in the first half of the twentieth century.
Partners
Maginnis was born January ...
was known at the time for its innovative and refined gothic design of churches and campuses in Boston, and was behind the campus architecture of
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
and the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large minor Catholic basilica and national shrine in the United States in Washington, D.C., located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to Catholic University.
...
. The architectural style of both Dillon and Alumni was in line with the previous gothic building on campus by Kervick and Fagan such as Morrissey, with local yellow brick with limestone trimmings, adorned with stone carvings on the facade and the interiors. The exterior features carvings of saints and athletes. The building is decorated with four statues by Rev. John J. Bednar, CSC, depicting
St. Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is com ...
and
St. Augustine (west court),
Cardinal Newman
John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and cardi ...
(above the southwest entrance), and
St. Patrick
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
(south wall), and a statue of
Commodore Barry (located in the west court) by
Hungarian sculptor
Eugene Kormendi
Eugene Kormendi (1889–1959) was a Hungarian sculptor. He studied at the Academy of Budapest before moving to Paris to collaborate with Auguste Rodin and Jean Paul Lorenz. Kormendi first came to the United States in 1939 along with his wife, ...
, who was sculptor in residence at Notre Dame.
Dillon's chapel is dedicated to
St. Patrick
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
, namesake of Patrick Dillon, and a side altar is dedicated to
St. Olaf, in honor of
Knute Rockne
Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...
, of Norwegian ancestry, who had passed just before the construction of the hall. When the halls opened in early November 1931 and three hundred freshmen moved in, the Dillon featured some of the latest technologies of the time, such as electric elevators, extension phones, buzzers, and slots for used razors. The first rector was Rev. Patrick Haggerty, class of 1916.
The dormitory was named after Fr.
Patrick Dillon, a Notre Dame graduate who was only 33 years old in 1865 when he was named the University's second president. This continued a long tradition of naming residence halls after previous presidents. Additionally, the hall was built one hundred year after his birth. He was considered lenient in disciplinary matters, a trait that made him popular among students but that had him removed from the administration only one year in his tenure. Since previous newest residential development of
Howard Hall,
Morrissey Hall, and
Lyons Hall (built in 1924-1927) had previously been known as "Gold Coast" because of their refined architecture, Alumni and Dillon quickly were dubbed "Platinum Coast" both because they had improved amenities but also because of the grayer color of the architecture and decoration.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Dillon and Alumni housed officers for the
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...
.
In 1965, together with Farley and Alumni, it was the first dorm to try the "stay-hall" system, in which residents could stay all four years in the same hall rather than being divided by class as they were up until the 1960s.
Past rectors include
Mark L. Poorman and
Daniel R. Jenky, who later was rector of the
Basilica of the Sacred Heart and
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the
Diocese of Peoria
The Diocese of Peoria ( la, Diœcesis Peoriensis, Peoria, Illinois) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the central Illinois region of the United States. The Diocese of Peoria is a suffragan diocese w ...
.
Traditions
Dillon's signature event of every year was formerly the Dillon Hall Pep Rally, hosted on South Quad on the Thursday preceding the first home game.
The pep rally was a comedy/variety show performed outside of Dillon the Thursday before the first home football game of the fall. Dillon's current signature event is Opening Day, a wiffle ball tournament between the sections of Dillon. The hall gives out free food, as well as hosts games and activities in the courtyard between Dillon and South Dining Hall. Dillon's other major events are Milkshake Mass and the Big Red Dog Dance with Alumni Hall.
Alumni Hall is the traditional rival of Dillon.
Notable residents
*
Victor Abiamiri
Victor Ikechukwu Abiamiri (born January 14, 1986) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. He is of Nigerian desce ...
*
John Burgee
__NOTOC__
John Burgee (born August 28, 1933) is an American architect noted for his contributions to Postmodern architecture. He was a partner of Philip Johnson from 1967 to 1991, creating together the partnership firm Johnson/Burgee Architects. ...
, architect
*
John Carney
*
Tom Carter
*
Robert Costa, journalist
*
John Covington
John Shaft Covington (born April 22, 1972) is a former American football safety. He played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL draf ...
*
Patrick Creadon
Patrick Creadon (born May 4, 1967) is an American filmmaker primarily known for his work in documentaries. His first film, ''Wordplay'', profiled ''New York Times'' crossword editor Will Shortz and premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ...
, filmmaker
*
George Dohrmann
George Dohrmann (born February 14, 1973), is an editor and writer for ''The Athletic'', the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for beat reporting, and author of '' Play Their Hearts Out'', which received the 2011 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writ ...
–
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
winner for
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
reporting in 2000
*
Phil Donahue
Phillip John Donahue (born December 21, 1935) is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of ''The Phil Donahue Show''. The television program, later known simply as ''Donahue'', was the first talk show forma ...
, media personality
*
Marc Edwards Marc or Mark Edwards may refer to:
Marc Edwards
* Marc Edwards (American football) (born 1974), American football player
* Marc Edwards (professor) (born 1964), professor of civil and environmental engineering
* Marc Edwards (drummer) (born 1949) ...
*
Anthony Fasano
Anthony Joseph Fasano (born April 20, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Fasano also played for the Kansas City ...
*
D. J. Fitzpatrick
*
Jim Flanigan
James Michael Flanigan Jr. (born August 27, 1971) is a former American football defensive tackle that played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1994 to 2003. Most of his success came when he was with the Chicago Bears from 1994 to 200 ...
*
Mike Golic
Michael Louis Golic Sr. (; born December 12, 1962) is a former National Football League (NFL) defensive lineman and television host. Golic is well known for his 25-year association with ESPN, most notably co-hosting ESPN Radio's ''Mike & Mike'' ...
*
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung (December 23, 1935 – November 13, 2020), nicknamed "the Golden Boy", was an American professional football player who was a Hall of Fame running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 195 ...
– the "Golden Boy," 1956
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
winner, number one overall draft pick in the 1957
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
, and member of four NFL Championship teams with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
*
Bill Laimbeer
William J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his rough and violent style of play, he played a big part in the P ...
- won two
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
Championships and was named to the
NBA All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a ...
four times while playing with the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
*
Derek Landri
*
Trevor Laws
Trevor David Laws (born June 14, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle. After playing college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He pl ...
*
Michael Madigan
Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician who is the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United Sta ...
, politician
*
John Mooney, basketball player
*
Tony Peterson
Anthony Wayne Peterson (born January 23, 1972) is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers (1994–1996, 1998–1999) and the Chicago Bears (1997). ...
*
Romeo Okwara
*
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
, television personality
*
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
*
Tony Rice
David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...
–
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
on the 1988 National Championship team; in 1989 he won the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
, finished 4th in the
Heisman
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...
voting, and was named to the
All-American Team
*
Richard Riehle
Richard Riehle (born May 12, 1948) is an American character actor. He portrayed Walt Finnerty on ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005) and The Warden on ''The Young and the Restless'' (2007). He also appeared in over 200 films, including '' Glory'' ...
'70
*
John Sullivan – football player
*
Manti Te'o
Manti Malietau Louis Te'o ( ; born January 26, 1991) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent.
Te'o played college football at Notre Dame, where he was a consensus All-American and received eight national awards. He was drafted ...
Gallery
Dillon Hall windows.jpg, Dillon Hall side
Dillon hall courtyard.jpg, The courtyard between Dillon and Alumni
DillonHallEntrance.jpg, Dillon Hall's main entrance
References
External links
Official siteCampus tourResidential life
Sources
Hall Profile
{{University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame residence halls
1931 establishments in Indiana
University and college buildings completed in 1931
National Register of Historic Places in St. Joseph County, Indiana
Historic district contributing properties in Indiana
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana