The dormitory, constructed to the right of the Administration Building, is another tangible representation of the College’s progress. The dormitory’s name honors the first American Mother General of the Notre Dame Congregation, Sister Loretto Julia Carroll (1963-1969). The Hall initially housed 218 students (increasing the College’s resident capacity to 600 students) and opened in September 1964 with double rooms, lounges, kitchenettes, laundry, extra study rooms, an infirmary, and recreational facilities. The first President of the then existing Dormitory Council was Kathleen McCarthy.

 

As the 1960s progressed there were protests not only for civil rights and against the Vietnam War, but also for students’ role in College governance, which led to the creation of a Student Bill of Rights at Emmanuel. This process began at the College in the winter of 1969 as commuter students, to deal with the cold weather, wore slacks which were not allowed under student regulations. Concurrently resident students, through their inter-dormitory council conducted a referendum on student determined curfews. Ninety-one percent (91%) of voting students answered “yes” to the question: “Should students determine their own curfew system by vote?” Responding to these student concerns, the College Administration relaxed its regulations, and by March 1969 commuters were allowed to wear slacks and resident students were given permission to set their own curfews.

 

However, the implementation of this decision was contentious as students of Loretto Hall were vocal activists. The hal withdrew from the Inter-Dormitory Council (IDC) in April 1971 after a proposal to extend parietal rules to twenty-four hours a week was submitted to the College without a student referendum.  No longer a member of IDC, they did not consider themselves subject to IDC rules or punishments, and they set up a 23-hour honors parietal system. In addition, the hall was repeatably instruction by John O’Laughlin, College Vice-President that the student bulletins were for College approved notices. He followed the reminder with a letter to the Student Government (SGA).

 

This issue was resolved on September 24, 1974, with a resident referendum. It resulted in the extension of parietal hours to 23 hours, seven days a week in St. Joseph, Loretto, and Julie Halls. However, in St. Ann's 23 hours would exist on weekends, while the present system of 9am to 1:30am would be retained for weekdays. The referendum on parietal necessitated a basic governing structure. This need was filled by the establishment of hour committees which are composed of one or two members elected from each floor. The house committees had no punitive power, nor did they have voting representatives, but rather they channeled information.

 

As the College faced a decrease in student enrollment and an increase in energy crisis, it led to the leasing of College facilities. In 1974, students from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (MCP) taking liberal arts courses at Emmanuel were living in Loretto Hall (1974). It was also during this period that the Loretto infirmary was closed, and health services were centralized in St. Joseph’s Hall (1976).

 

By 1983, the reduced student enrollment at Emmanuel enticed the College to lease more of its facilities to neighboring institutions. St. Ann’s Hall housed students from, such institutions as: Tufts Medical School, New England College of Optometry, Emmerson College, English Language School (ELS), Suffolk Law School, and Boston University. Loretto Hall was leased to Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (MCP). At St. Joseph's there were Nursing students from Peter Bent Brigham, along with Emmanuel freshmen, sophomores and some upperclassmen. Across the way, juniors and seniors of Emmanuel College lived in Marian Hall. In addition, as part of the Campus upgrades of the mid 1980s Loretto Hall received its own mailroom (1986) for the students of MCP.

 

By 1998, after six inches of rain fell in the Fens of Boston, the College faced a flooding issue across campus.  Rainfall on the roof of Marian Hall brought ceiling tiles down in the dining hall. The Administration Building, Loretto Hall, and St. Ann's all had their share of water where it shouldn't be. But receiving the brunt of the deluge was the basement of St. Joseph Hall that had recently been renovated. It was at this time that long-term planning for student housing was actively under review as the College had become coeducational. Enhancements of residence halls St. Ann Hall and Loretto Hall were completed in 2005. By this time Emmanuel students were living in four residence halls that included St. Joseph Hall, Loretto Hall (after a 25-year occupancy by MCP), St. James Hall and Julie Hall. It was at this period that Loretto Hall became predominantly freshman residence hall.

 

By 2023, Loretto Hall served as the freshmen dormitory and housed 280 in a co-educational setting with single-sex rooms. Each floor housed 30 to 60 residents who shared single-sex bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens. The first floor contained a lounge with a large-screen television, vending machines, computers, and printing station. Resident Assistants also hosted programs for students in this space. The laundry room was located on the ground floor.

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