Morrissey Hall (University of Notre Dame)
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Morrissey 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. Built in 1925-1926, its architects were Vincent Fagan and Francis Kervick. Along with other buildings on Notre Dame's campus, 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 ...
. With . Map of district included with text version available at National Park Service It is referred to as ''Morrissey Manor'' by its residents.


History

Howard Hall was completed in 1925 as the first of three new freshman dorms built by president Walsh; Morrissey and Lyons Halls were to be the next two. The construction of these dorms was a response to the high number of Notre Dame's collegiate students living off campus and the rapid increase in student population after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The building of both dorms was assigned to the architecture firm of Kervick and Fagan. Francis W. Kervick (1883-1962) and Vincent F. Fagan (1898-1951) were also professors at the Notre Dame department of architecture. They designed many of the school's new buildings during the 1920s. The University chose Smoger & Company to build Morrissey Hall for $275,000, and Christman Brothers to construct Lyons for $200,000. Morrissey Hall features some of the most elaborate architecture of any dorm on campus. With its elaborate masonry and tall tower, Morrissey's exterior is most impressive. It became the center of the 'Gold Coast', the complex formed by Morrissey, Lyons and Howard, and the masterpiece of Kervick and Fagan. The elaborate stonework, reminiscent of Gothic cathedrals, and the well furnished entrance hall with the look of a gentleman's club with fine wood paneling and a fireplace made Morrissey one of the most elegant and fashionable constructions on campus at the time. Francis and Kervick incorporated asymmetrical details including an off-center front door, a one-sided spire and mismatched roof-lines. A statue of Morrissey's patron saint, the apostle Andrew, stands to the left of the dorm's entrance, a work of 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. Morrissey's design was influenced by
Tudor Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
style, a more streamlined and less expensive version of collegiate gothic (following the work of Ralph Adams Cram on South Dining Hall). The construction of both the dorms began in 1925 on land that was previously used as the University's farm land on the west side of the future South Quad. Morrissey was completed by the fall of 1926 and most of Lyons Hall was completed in time for fall classes in 1926, while its smaller east annex was completed in the fall of 1927. Rev. Robert Woodward, CSC, was rector of Morrissey until 1941, when he enlisted in the army to be a
military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...
, role which he served until 1946. In the 1940s, Morrissey was home to the bachelor don professor Frank O'Malley, one of the most well known and beloved professors at Notre Dame. Rev. Edmund Joyce, CSC, long time vice president of the university and right hand man of Rev.
Theodore Hesburgh Theodore Martin Hesburgh, CSC (May 25, 1917 – February 26, 2015) was a native of Syracuse, New York, who became an ordained priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and is best known for his service as the president of the University of No ...
, CSC, was assistant rector in Morrissey. Morrissey Hall underwent a 2-year, multimillion-dollar renovation during the summers of 1997 and 1998. A complete overhaul of the exterior gave the hall new landscaping, sidewalks, a new roof, gutters, and more bike racks, while the interior renovation gave us remodeled rooms for the students (with new doors, furniture, sinks, floors, and internet hook-ups for each student), new and improved common social spaces, study areas, laundry facilities in the basement, and lounges on each floor equipped with cable television. The interior of the building was extensively renovated during the entirety of the 2018–2019 school year, during which, the residents of Morrissey were temporarily relocated to nearby Pangborn Hall. With this upgrade came a remodel of most of the rooms both common rooms and bedrooms expanding them and adding better furniture. The new and current hall has a variety of modern recreational features, such as custom foosball and air hockey tables and a Nintendo switch in each of five lounges in the building. Some of the other upgrades include two full kitchens, two kitchenettes, and a back patio that overlooks the lake and Morrissey's beach volleyball court.


Insignia and traditions

Morrissey Hall is named after Fr.
Andrew Morrissey The Rev. Andrew Morrissey, C.S.C. (November 16, 1860 – May 27, 1921) was an Irish-American priest and President of the University of Notre Dame from 1893 to 1905, after having served previously as director of studies. He was born in 1860 ...
, C.S.C., Notre Dame's seventh president. The dorm's motto, "Brothers made by the same God, destined for the same glory" comes from a speech Fr. Morrissey gave as University president.The symbol of the hall is the
Saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...
, or St. Andrew's Cross, which represents
St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...
, Fr. Morrissey's patron saint. Its coat of arms is the Cross of St. Andrews, yellow on black (the colors of the hall). Morrissey was one of the first dorms to have its own fight song, “Fight on for Morrissey”. It was written by Bill Murphy ‘74 in an attempt to rally the hall's football team over arch-rival Dillon. In 1970, the hall lost the Inter-Hall Football Championship to Dillon during a final game which tied awarded to Dillon based on amassing more first downs. In 1971, the hall lost again the title game to Dillon on a snow-covered Moose Krause Field in a tiebreaker format. In 1972, the third consecutive final against Dillon, the hall staged a pep rally in order to rally for the win and a fight song was created. Two main aspects of dorm social life in Morrissey are the basement night-time restaurant, Yaz's, and weekly section competitions. Yaz's was founded in the early 1990s and in the late 2010s saw a resurgence by featuring Pork Mac n Cheese and wide assortment of homemade shakes. The second key part of weekly community in the dorm, section competitions, is the newest of Morrissey's traditions. Founded in the fall of 2018 when Morrissey residents were temporarily in Pangborn hall during the dorm's renovations, every Sunday night the seven sections of Morrissey compete in some sort of a competitive event to compete for the Manor cup and a permanent plaque hung in the basement of Morrissey. Some of the most popular examples of these are a 3v3 basketball tournament, a hot wing eating contest, and a mariokart tournament. Every year, Morrissey hosts a Christmas Formal in which historically
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
would personally deliver invitations and candy canes to all of the ladies who were asked to the dance although this part of the tradition has not occurred since the early 2010s. The day-long festivities of the modern dance, which include decorating the entire walls of the dorm in wrapping paper and a massive barbecue, take place on the Saturday before the final week of classes each Fall and culminate in a dance that is attended by nearly every resident. Although presently a significantly smaller tradition, historically one of the major traditions of the dorm is the Manor Medallion Hunt. Each spring, the Manor Medallion Hunt sweeps the Notre Dame campus by storm. During a week long campus-wide search for a single three-inch medallion, daily riddles are printed in the Observer to help direct treasure hunters to the medallion. The lucky one who finds the medallion wins a prize of $250. An older discontinued Morrissey tradition is the Gilded Age Ball, when Morrissey residents step back in time and relive the days of the
Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...
with a dance based on the music and attire of the 1920s.


Sports and awards

Morrissey has won Hall of the Year for 2006–2007. It also has been inter-hall Football champion in 2006, 2014, and 2015, with a runner up in 2019. It won inter-hall Baseball in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, inter-hall Basketball in 2008–2009, inter-hall Ultimate Frisbee in 2008 and 2009, and inter-hall Hockey in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Morrissey is nearly always a dorm that compete's for the title of best athletic dorm (the O'Leary Cup) mainly based on its consistency in placing on the podium for a variety of smaller sports, such back to back top three finishes for Racquetball, Dodgeball, Flag football, and Sand Volleyball from 2018 to 2019.


Notable residents

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Joseph Scheidler The Pro-Life Action League is an American anti-abortion organization founded by Joseph M. Scheidler in Chicago in 1980. The organization's sole mission is to end abortion. Joe Scheidler was the national director, his son, Eric Scheidler, is the e ...
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Richard V. Allen Richard Vincent Allen (born January 1, 1936) was the United States National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1982, having been Reagan's chief foreign policy advisor from 1977. He has been a fellow of the Hoover Institutio ...
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Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski ( ; nicknamed "Yaz"; born August 22, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year Major League career with the Bost ...
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Kelly Tripucka Peter Kelly Tripucka (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1991. He was a two-time NBA All Star and averaged over twenty points a game ...
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Troy Murphy Troy Brandon Murphy (born May 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township. He at ...
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William Mapother William Reibert Mapother Jr. (; born April 17, 1965) is an American actor, known for his role as Ethan Rom on the television series ''Lost (TV series), Lost'' and starring in the film ''In the Bedroom''. He is also known for the film ''Another Ear ...
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Chase Claypool Chase Claypool (born July 7, 1998) is a Canadian professional American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in th ...
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Liam Eichenberg Liam Eichenberg (born January 19, 1998) is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round of the 20 ...


Other sources


Irish Legends



References


External links


Morrissey Hall Website

University of Notre Dame Website
{{University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame residence halls National Register of Historic Places in St. Joseph County, Indiana Historic district contributing properties in Indiana University and college buildings completed in 1926