Davis Hall

Residence Hall Description
Davis Hall houses 327 first year students in single and double rooms.  The laundry room is located behind the mailbox area and includes high efficiency washers and dryers.  Only high efficiency detergent should be used with the washers.  The vending machines are located in the same area.



Residence Director of Davis Hall
Allison Gagne, M.Ed.
Residence Director
Located off the Davis Hall main lobby
(413) 572-5503
agagne@westfield.ma.edu

Allison comes to WSU by way of UMass Amherst, where she worked as an Assistant Residence Director and earned her Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration/Student Affairs. Prior to that, she received her B.A. in Elementary and Special Education from Rivier College in NH, and then moved to Houston, TX where she spent three years volunteering at a foster care agency.

Allison is also a high school cheerleading coach and dreams of winning “Ultimate Cake Off” someday. Her professional passions include working with first-year students, advising and mentoring student leaders and working actively as an ally to the LGBT community.

Residence Hall History

Davis Hall opened in 1966.  It is named for the Reverend Emerson Davis (1799-1866).

In 1844, the Normal School in Barre, MA moved to Westfield.  The first class consisted of 23 men and 26 women.  Reverend Davis, born in Ware and educated in Williams, had been influential in promoting this move and was named to head the Westfield institution (his title then was 'Principal,' not 'President').  Two years later, Massachusetts, with pressure from Horace Mann and contributions from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, opened the Normal School, the College's first dedicated building.

It was not by accident that Davis Hall, which was the only men's residence hall for many years, was placed far away from Dickinson and Scanlon Halls, which were originally women's residence halls.

The unusual bathroom configuration in this hall was a product of its time, when visitors of the opposite sex were not allowed above the first floor of the building.  Another prominent feature of Davis Hall is the Commons Room.

Davis received fire suppression system upgrades, and new bedroom ceilings and lightings in 2002.  New bedroom furniture and Commons Room and lobby renovations were completed in 2005, and new windows and flooring were installed in 2007.

Residence Hall Staff