Dillon Hall (University of Notre Dame)

Dillon Hall

Motto	It's OK to be Jealous
Type	Residence Hall
Established	1931
Rector	Rev. Paul Doyle, CSC
Location	Notre Dame , Indiana , USA
Campus	South Quad
Undergraduate residents	334
Colors	Red/Black
Mascot	Big Red, Princess Javelina
Website	Dillon Hall Website

Dillon Hall is one of the 27 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 14 male dorms. Dillon is located directly east of Alumni Hall and is directly adjacent to South Dining Hall on the west. Dillon houses 334 undergraduate students.

History

Dillon Hall is the largest Dormitory on the University of Notre Dame campus with around 340 residents. Named after Fr. Patrick Dillon, CSC, the Hall was completed in 1931. Dillon's chapel is dedicated to Knute Rockne's patron saint, St. Olaf. Notable former residents include former pro basketball player Bill Laimbeer.

Dillon Hall is known as "The Big Red," and few know from where the name comes. In fact, the dorm moniker used to be "the Big D," but when this title began to take on less-than-desirable connotations, the name was changed to "The Big Red," after the dorm's official color.

Dillon's main rival in recsports events has always been Alumni Hall, situated directly across from Dillon. The Pinnacle of this rivalry is in mid Fall when both dorms sponsor Rivalry Week, a multievent competition to see which dorm is better. The week culminates in the Big Red Dawg Dance, where the winner of Rivalry Week is announced. Dillon's signature event of every year is the Dillon Hall Pep Rally. The pep rally is a comedy/variety show performed outside of Dillon the Thursday before the first home football game of the fall.

In the late 90s, Dillon had a tradition of shouting "Alumni Sucks." This was suppressed by the administration and almost disappeared. In 1999, however, Tony Rice spoke at the Dillon Pep Rally and shouted "Alumni," to which the men responded "sucks!" From that point on, it became anathema to use the chant anymore.

Princess the Javelina

At many Dillon Hall events, the men arrive with their mascot, Princess, on display. She is a taxidermied Javelina head bearing menacing teeth. She serves as the headpiece for the dorm's Fisher Regatta boat, she appears in the Pep Rally, and often accompanies Dillon's Teen Wolf around campus.

Typically, Princess is awarded by Hall Government to the most enthusiastic and spirited freshman in the class. This tradition has perdured for longer than any current resident can remember. Yet the story of how the Javelina came to be involved with the dorm is still known.

The Javelina that is now mounted on the wall once belonged to a poor soldier during the Civil War. This soldier belonged to a regiment whose chaplain was Fr. Dillon, the legendary Holy Cross father after whom Dillon Hall is now named. This soldier was an odd boy from the back woods of Arkansas, near Mt. Ida. He had abandoned his friends and countrymen to join the Union forces, and the only remnant of his former life that accompanied him was his pet, Princess. Fr. Dillon befriended this young man, and one late night he promised the boy that if anything should happen to him, he would take care of Princess.

The boy also had a gregarious and lively personality. His spirit was magnetic. His small regiment faced great odds but won several battles behind his courage. Yet one day, tragically, he fell. After a brief ceremony, Fr. Dillon took Princess as his own. When later, several years after the war, Princess too passed on, he had her permanently preserved, to serve as a reminder of the courageous and sensitive Arkansas boy. He wrote this story in a notebook and left both it and the Javelina head in Corby Hall.

Years passed. In the late 90s Fr. Paul Doyle was asked to serve as rector for Dillon, and so he began searching for clues about the dorm's history. In the basement of Corby, he ran across both Princess and the story. He told the dorm's leadership about the find, and they decided to institute an award for the freshman who most resembled that young, energetic soldier.

Current Rector

Fr. Paul Doyle, CSC is the current rector of Dillon Hall, assuming the position in 1997. A benevolent southerner from Lynchburg, Virginia, Fr. Doyle was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1977. Prior to his appointment as rector. Fr. Doyle had such positions as Director of Old College, Notre Dame's residence for men considering the priesthood, as well as Assistant Superior of Moreau Seminary. From 1980-1985, he also served as pastor of the St Joseph's parish in South Bend. He is also the current chaplain for home football games.

Past Rectors

Prior to Fr. Paul Doyle, CSC serving as rector, Fr. Joseph Carey was rector. In the 1980s, Fr. Mark Poorman served as Rector.

Famous Residents

Famous residents, past and present, include:

• Tony Rice, quarterback on the 1988 National Championship team.
• Paul Hornung, the "Golden Boy, 1956 Heisman Trophy winner, number one overall draft pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, and member of four NFL Championship teams with the Green Bay Packers.
• Bill Laimbeer, won two NBA Championships and was named to the NBA All-Star Game four times while playing with the Detroit Pistons.
• Brady Quinn, finished fourth in Heisman balloting as a junior and now returns as captain and quarterback for his senior year.

A number of other less nationally recognizable football players lived in Dillon Hall last year, including junior linebacker Derek Landri, senior tight end Anthony Fasano, junior defensive back Ambrose Wooden, junior defensive lineman Trevor Laws, junior defensive lineman Victor Abiamiri, and junior offensive lineman John Sullivan.

External links

• Dillon Hall Website
• Dillon Hall Profile at the Office of Residence Life and Housing
• University of Notre Dame Website
• NBC Article featuring Dillon traditions