Originally called New Hall South and renamed Humes Hall in November 1966, Humes Hall was opened for women residents in fall 1966. It is part of the Presidential Complex of residence halls, and is named for the 10th president of the university, Thomas Humes. The facility accommodates more than five hundred women. The contractor for the project was Melson Contractors of Shelbyville.
In 2013 the university announced that its master plan for student residential facilities would replace the 1960 dormitories of the Presidential Complex, as well as Morrill Hall and the Apartment Residence Hall. The Fred D. Brown Hall and new halls on the former site of Bill Gibbs Hall and Shelbourne Towers Apartment Building would allow the 1960s halls to be razed and replaced by smaller, better-designed residence halls.