In Memory: John and Dotty Hall

Dear Laurentian community,

I write today with sad news about the passing of a beloved Laurentian couple. Professor Emeritus of Education John Hall P’96 died in February at the age of 92 and his wife, Professor Emerita of Sport and Leisure Studies Dorothy “Dotty” Hall P’96, died last month at 84. This campus and those who knew them continue to benefit from their combined legacy of inspiration and love.

John joined the faculty of St. Lawrence in 1963. Dotty became a coach at the University in 1966—they met that year and married in 1967.

As a professor of education, John was involved in establishing and coordinating the North Country School Boards Institute. He chaired the Department of Education (1975-1977), served as the President of the Collegiate Association for the Development of Educational Administration in New York State (1975-1977), served as the President of the Congress of Administrative Organizations in New York State (1978-1980), established an Educational Administration Exchange with the Department of Educational Administration at McGill University, coordinated the Educational Administration Program at St. Lawrence, and presented his sabbatical research on stress management and problem solving across two Canadian provinces and four U.S. states.

Earlier in his career, John served in the U.S. Army in Korea. He later enrolled in graduate programs at The University of Maine (1954), St. Lawrence University (1956), and University of Maryland (1960). While in graduate school, he also worked in various teaching positions, including as a social studies teacher and a coach in Maine (1954), and a teacher at Salmon River Central School in Fort Covington, N.Y. (1956). When John wasn't in the classroom, he enjoyed a simple life full of nature, family, and friends. He loved to spend time in his large garden and chopping wood.

Dotty was one of the most successful coaches in the University’s history, with 306 victories between her field hockey and lacrosse teams. Her coaching honors and team titles were extensive. She took teams to national play under the AIAW and NCAA umbrellas and coached two Hall of Fame teams and many individual Hall of Fame members. In 2001, Dotty was inducted into St. Lawrence’s Hall of Fame; and in 2010, the North Country Field, which is home to the men’s and women’s lacrosse and field hockey teams, was named in her honor as the Hall-Leet Stadium. Dotty was recently inducted into the 2022 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Hall of Fame for her extensive coaching accomplishments.

While Dotty’s records and awards speak to her ability to lead and coach, they only scratch the surface of her contributions to women’s athletics. In grade and high school, she was not afforded the chance to play organized sports because there were no opportunities for women, which influenced her determination that this type of inequality not be the same for her daughter and future generations of women. As the chair of the women’s athletic department, she fought for the equitable rights of women’s sports from 1968 until the merger of women’s and men’s programs in 1974. As a sport and leisure studies professor, she created a course called Sport and Gender and taught the Sociology of Sport, Philosophy of Sport, and Sports Psychology. A popular and highly respected teacher, Dotty earned the Maslow Teaching Award in 1995 and was a Danforth Teaching Fellow from 1980-86.

John and Dotty retired in 2000.

As we grieve the loss of our friends and colleagues, we are grateful to them for all they have done for St. Lawrence, the communities they served, and their inspired teaching and coaching.

As John taught the life-changing benefits of education, Dotty transformed athletics into opportunities and greater equality for women. It is our honor to remember them and their legacies.

Please join us in celebrating their lives by sharing your memories of them on the St. Lawrence University website. You can read the remembrances of others here.

Sincerely,
Kate Morris