The dorm, with its brick exterior, limestone stone, and slate roof, was finished in time for the opening of the school in September 1937 and housed 193 men.

At its construction, it joined Brownson and Cavanaugh halls to host freshmen, while Carroll, Lyons, Morrissey, and Badin were for sophomores, Howard, Dillon, and Saint Edward’s for Juniors, and Sorin, Walsh, and Alumni for seniors.

[10] In the 1960s, the University dropped academic requirements for first housing picks, and students were henceforth assigned randomly to residence halls before they arrived on campus their freshman year.

One of the points of contention was the fraternity atmosphere fostered in the community, bolstered by hazing, streaking, vandalism, rowdiness, and the self-imposed moniker of "Zahm House".

Zahm Hall exhibited a large "Here Come The Irish" sign on the side of the building facing the North Quad during home football games.

[24] Those opposed to the university's decision contested this notion, citing the high rate of Green Dot Bystander Intervention certification of dorm residents,[23] pointing out that there was no data to support the claim that sexual assaults happened more frequently in Zahm,[24] and saying that the tight knit community ensured accountability.

[21][25] The Observer later reported that the number of sexual assaults that occurred in the dorm was "impossible to determine", citing a lack of public data.

[24] The Observer also reported that a series of mass emails distributed among Zahm residents featured references to heavy drinking, party culture, racial slurs, and jokes about sexual assault.