From fires, guns and relocating to hotels, Dolan Residence Hall has had an interesting history. The hall, which was completed in 1955, has had quite the past in its 70-year history.

Dolan Hall currently houses the Honors, Arrupe and Leadership Living Learning Communities (LLC), but the history of the residence hall has had many major events over the years. First in 1980, “Vandalism flourishes here: Dolan hit hardest” came out in The Carroll News. In the events described by the article, seven windows were shattered, leaving upwards of $420 in damages. The total is more than double Pacelli Hall ($186) and Bernet Hall ($110) in destruction costs which were also vandalized. 

There were no common areas located within the residence hall at the time of the 1980 article, so damage was more likely to occur. According to John Carroll University’s Residence Life vandalism policy, “Vandalism is defined as any intentional behavior which causes damage, when that behavior violates policy, or is reckless or negligent, in that a reasonable person would know that engaging in that behavior could cause damage.” In 2016, the groups that were identified as common factors were freshmen, men and those drinking alcohol. 

Jeanie Hunt, a senior resident assistant, said “Residence Life’s policy states that any vandalism not linked to an individual or individuals will result in equal charges to the floor or building. This encourages residents to hold each other accountable for their actions and decreases the chance of future vandalism. Also, at the start of each year, the RAs highlight the university’s policies and zero tolerance for vandalism to ensure residents comprehend the potential consequences and the extra work that housekeeping or facilities would encounter.”

However, on March 14, 1992, a different situation occurred in the residence hall, a fire. 57 displaced residents were moved to both Murphy and Pacelli Halls. Soon after, many residents of Dolan were moved to area hotels due to zebra mussels clogging the pipes. Zebra mussels are typically found in lakes and large bodies of water and like to cling to different objects. The entire clean-up and renovation cost about $85,000.

Upon hearing about this incident, Dolan resident Annie Costello ’27 said, “Wow, that’s crazy! I never knew that our residence hall had such a wild history. That sounds like something out of a horror movie.” In 2021, the residence hall was remodeled, adding much-needed common room spaces. Single-use restrooms were also added, keeping the historic building’s history and charm. The counseling and wellness center was also relocated to the basement of Dolan. 

On Nov. 21, 2023, JCU PD and Residence Life were sent to the residence hall after an alert for a firearm was found in a dorm. The weapon was a Century Arms 7.62×39 MM VSKA (an AK-pattern rifle) found in a guitar case. With that, Dolan Residence Hall has had an interesting yet unusual history at JCU.

“I have lived in Dolan for all three years since its renovation, so it is shocking to learn how it was previously affected by acts of vandalism…which makes it more of a quiet and studious building in my experience — I can’t picture these events happening now. Most residents are very appreciative of the new, clean spaces compared to other dorms,” said Hunt.