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Kenyon College

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Kenyon College
MottoMagnanimiter Crucem Sustine
TypePrivate school
Established1824
PresidentS. Georgia Nugent
Undergraduates1,640
Postgraduates0
Location
Gambier
,
OH
,
USA
CampusRural, 1,000 acres (4 km²) including a 380 acre (1.5 km²) nature preserve
Athletics22 varsity teams, 50 national championships (27 Men's Swimming, 20 Women's Swimming, 3 Women's Tennis)
ColorsPurple and White
MascotLords (men's teams) and Ladies (women's teams)
Websitewww.kenyon.edu

Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of the The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private institution of higher education in Ohio. The campus is noted for its Collegiate Gothic architecture and rustic setting. Although it has suffered two serious fires (after which it was rebuilt), Old Kenyon Hall (1827) is believed to be the oldest Gothic revival building in the Americas. The 2005 Princeton Review and Fiske Guide to Colleges 2005 both ranked Kenyon's admissions as "most selective" and the college received top academic ratings. In addition, in 2006 Newsweek selected Kenyon College as one of twenty-five "New Ivies" on the basis of admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators, students, faculty and alumni. Kenyon College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founding of the College

After becoming the first Bishop of Ohio in 1819, Philander Chase found a severe lack of trained clergy on the Ohio frontier. He planned to create a seminary to rectify this problem, but could find little support. Undeterred, he sailed to England and solicited donations from Lord Kenyon, Lord Gambier, and the writer and philanthropist Hannah More, and the College was incorporated in December, 1824. Dissatisfied with the original location of the College in Worthington, Chase purchased eight thousand acres of land in Knox County (with the Mount Vernon lawyer Henry Curtis), and reached what he would name Gambier Hill on July 24, 1825. There is a legend that Bishop Chase exclaimed, "Well, this will do!" upon reaching the crest of the hill.[1][2]

[3]

Kenyon College is the largest landowner in Gambier, a town of about 600 year round residents.

Academics

Kenyon's English Department is perhaps the best known among the college's academic departments. The English department first gained recognition with the arrival of the poet and critic John Crowe Ransom in 1937 as Professor of Poetry and first editor of The Kenyon Review, a literary journal.

Athletics

Kenyon's sports teams are referred to as the Lords and Ladies, and their colors are purple, white, and black with gold often added as an accent. The college's men's and women's swimming teams are generally considered among the best in NCAA Division III, with the men's team winning 27 consecutive national championships and the women's 20 (not consecutively). Swim Coach Jim Steen has coached the most conference titles in any sport in NCAA history. In 2006 Kenyon opened the Kenyon Athletic Center.

Traditions

As Ohio's first private college, Kenyon takes pride in some traditions held more than 180 years. All students in each entering class are expected to take the Matriculation Oath and sign a Matriculation Book that dates back at least a century.

Another renowned tradition is the "Freshman Sing." Each year, entering freshmen gather on the steps of Rosse Hall to sing Kenyon songs before they are officially part of the Kenyon community. On the day before Commencement, seniors gather on the steps of Rosse Hall to sing Kenyon songs again.

Whenever a new president begins a term at the college, candles are lit in every window of Old Kenyon, as a sign of welcome. Kenyon has had 14 presidents, and currently has its first female president.


Philander Chase was the founder and first president of Bexley Hall and Kenyon College, and later became Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

Notable alumni

Main article: Notable Kenyon Alumni

Student organizations

Media

Sports

Arts

  • The Kenyon College Chasers The Kenyon College Chasers, founded in 1964, is the oldest group of a cappella singers on campus. This select ensemble of approximately 15 men and women perform contemporary, original arrangements of songs by many different artists.
  • Renegade Theatre Founded in 2002, Renegade Theatre is a theatre company designed for the promotion of first-year students in the theatre community at Kenyon. Students are able to write, act in leading roles, direct and design, as well as serve as a production board designing an entire season of shows. At the beginning of the following year, the former year's board passes the group onto the new first-years.
  • Kenyon College Dance and Drama Club Student-run organization producing theatrical productions with the direct support of the dance and drama departments. Former members include the founders of the Cripple Creek Theatre Company in New Orleans, LA.[6]


  1. Kenyon College: http://www.kenyon.edu
  2. Kenyon College Profile: http://ir.kenyon.edu/profile.php
  3. Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper): http://www.kenyoncollegian.com
  4. Five Colleges of Ohio: http://www.ohio5.org
  5. Great Lakes Colleges Association: http://www.glca.org
  6. Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion/Association of Episcopal Colleges: http://www.cuac.org/53810_43981_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=53912
  7. Kenyon Ice Hockey: http://www2.kenyon.edu/orgs/Icehockey/welcome.htm
  8. Kenyon College Dance and Drama: http://kcdc.kenyon.edu
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