Notre Dame’s newest residence halls — set to open in August for the 2016 fall semester — will be named Dunne Hall and Flaherty Hall, a University press release announced Tuesday.
Jimmy and Susan Dunne, of New York City, and Jay and Mary Flaherty, of Los Angeles, each donated $20 million to the University for the construction of the dorms, according to the release.
“We are humbled by the generosity of the Dunnes and Flahertys,” University President Fr. John Jenkins said in the release. “Residence halls are at the heart of a Notre Dame undergraduate education, and these halls will enhance that education for generations to come.”
Both new dorms are located in the northeast part of campus, near Hesburgh Library and the new McCourtney research facility, according to the release. Dunne Hall will house 221 men, while Flaherty Hall will accommodate 226 women.
According to the release, the new dorms will feature singles, doubles, quads and, in Dunne, six-person rooms. Each dorm will have a two-story floor lounge, reading room, study areas and a chapel, in addition to pass-through floor lounges to encourage communal gatherings.
Flaherty Hall will feature full kitchens on each floor, the release said, while Dunne Hall will have one full kitchen and three kitchenettes adjoined to floor lounges. Both dorms will also have a fitness room, vending and storage areas, a laundry room and an outdoor patio.
Sr. Mary Donnelly, former rector of Pangborn Hall, has been named rector of Flaherty Hall, and Fr. Matt Kuczora, former Carroll Hall rector, will lead Dunne Hall. Flaherty will house one in-residence priest or faculty member, and Dunne will host two, the release said.
“Residential life at Notre Dame is distinctive, and these new halls will provide homes where our students can support and learn from one another, form lifelong friendships, deepen their faith and grow in both mind and heart,” Erin Hoffmann Harding, vice president for Student Affairs, said in the release.
According to the release, Jimmy Dunne is a 1978 Notre Dame graduate and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. He is now senior managing principal of Sandler O’Neill + Partners, an investment banking firm focused on the financial services sector. Susan Dunne earned her bachelor’s degree from Lynchburg College and spent 12 years as an executive recruiter in New York City before marrying Jimmy and retiring to raise her children.
“It is with great pride and appreciation for Notre Dame that we provide this support,” Jimmy Dunne said in the release. “The roommates I met freshman year in Alumni Hall have been friends for life. It is my hope that these new residence halls offer the same opportunity for every student who passes through them.”
Flaherty Hall was built to recognize Mary Hesburgh Flaherty, a 1979 Notre Dame graduate from one of the first classes to include women, according to the release. Flaherty is the niece of University President Emeritus Fr. Ted Hesburgh and serves as a member of the University’s Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council. Her husband, Jay Flaherty, is a 1979 Notre Dame graduate and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. He currently serves as the managing director of a real estate joint venture with NorthStar Asset Management.
“Jay and I, along with our family, are honored to be able to provide a home for Notre Dame women for generations to come,” Mary Flaherty said in the release.
Upperclassmen residing in the new dorms have already selected their rooms for the fall semester. Members of the incoming freshmen class will be assigned to the new dorms when housing information is released.
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