David Connolly Hall during his time at Brown University, circa 1898-1901. He later coached and taught at the University of Washington.
But the man behind Hall Health is still present in the building’s new name, the David C. Hall Building: As an athlete, coach and physician, Hall made history at the Paris Olympics 124 years ago.
Originally from Sherbrooke, Quebec, on the Canadian border in Vermont, Hall moved to Boston and eventually enrolled at Brown University, where he won 107 trophies, captained the track and field team, and became Brown’s first Olympian in 1900.
Hall might have been Brown’s first gold medalist if second-place finisher John Creegan (also from the United States) hadn’t stepped on his heel at the halfway point and blown off his right shoe. Hall persevered, though, and finished the second half of the race with just one shoe. Hall came in third and won the bronze medal.
Hall attended the University of Chicago and earned his medical degree from Rush Medical College in 1907. He served as athletic director and professor of hygiene at the University of Chicago, and also coached several men’s sports.
The same bronze medal that Hall won at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
He served in World War I as a lieutenant colonel on the front in Italy in command of an ambulance corps made up of doctors and many UW students. Returning to UW, in response to the Spanish Flu and Impetigo outbreaks, he established the campus’s first Student Health Service in 1919 and served as its director until his retirement in 1947.
Today, the building that bears Hall’s name houses the Husky Health Center, as well as offices for the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Department of Community Standards and Student Conduct.
“[The name change] “This new system clarifies our mission, raises awareness of our connection to the UW community, and honors the legacy of Olympian, coach, World War I veteran, and longtime UW physician, David C. Hall,” Husky Health Center wrote. “And best of all, we don’t have to change our acronym!”
Curious about the Dogs at the Olympics? We’ve compiled a list of alumni who will be competing at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Visit the UW Athletics website for more information.
athlete
Kelsey Plum, ’17 (USA, Women’s Basketball)
Sami Whitcomb, ’10 (Australia, Women’s Basketball)
Pan Cheng-tung, ’15 (Taiwan, Men’s Golf)
Nick Taylor, ’10 (Canada, Men’s Golf)
Karl Yuan, ’18 (China, Men’s Golf)
Nina Castagna, 23 (USA, women’s rowing)
Teal Cohen, ’22 (USA, Women’s Rowing)
Holly Dunford, ’22 (Great Britain, Women’s Rowing)
Aisha Rochek, ’25 (Italy, Women’s Rowing)
Tabea Schendeker, ’21 (Germany, Women’s Rowing)
Phoebe Sport, ’17 (New Zealand, Women’s Rowing)
Jessica Thönes, ’18 (USA, Women’s Rowing)
Danielle Hansen, ’17 (USA, Women’s Rowing)
Chris Carlson, ’19 (USA, Men’s Rowing)
Ben Davison, ’19 (USA, Men’s Rowing)
Jacob Dawson, ’16 (Great Britain, Men’s Rowing)
Lillie Milne, ’18 (USA, Men’s Rowing)
Evan Olson, ’19 (USA, Men’s Rowing)
Peter Quinton, ’25 (USA, Men’s Rowing)
Simon van Dorp, ’22 (Netherlands, Men’s Rowing)
Logan Ulrich, ’23 (New Zealand, Men’s Rowing)
Aaron Small, ’24 (USA, Men’s Rowing, Kayak)
Jonas Ecker, ’25 (USA, Men’s Rowing, Kayaking)
Brian Fay, ’23 (Ireland, men’s track and field)
Killian Lamb, ’22 (Canada, Men’s Track and Field)
Sam Tanner, ’19 (New Zealand, Men’s Athletics)
Izzy Butt-Doyle, ’19 (Australia, Women’s Athletics)
Sophie O’Sullivan, ’24 (Ireland, women’s track and field)
Gianna Woodruff, ’15 (Panama, women’s track and field)
coach
Michael Callahan, U.S. Men’s Eights Rowing Coach
Lori Dauphinee (USA Women’s Rowing Pair Coach)
Adrienne Martelli (USA Women’s Boat Sweep Coach)
Tama Miyashiro (US Women’s Indoor Volleyball Assistant Coach)
