Kenyon College

Kenyon College
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Gambier, Ohio
Coordinates	40°22′35″N 82°23′45″W / 40.37639°N 82.39583°W / 40.37639; -82.39583Coordinates: 40°22′35″N 82°23′45″W / 40.37639°N 82.39583°W / 40.37639; -82.39583
Built	1824
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Gothic Revival, Greek Revival
NRHP Reference #	75001447[4]
Added to NRHP	December 6, 1975

Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States, founded in 1824 by Philander Chase.^[5] It is the oldest private college in Ohio and is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.^[5] The campus is noted for its Collegiate Gothic architecture and rural setting.^[6][7] Kenyon College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[8] The acceptance rate for the Class of 2019 was 23.8%, the most selective year to date.^[9]

History

Founding

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

After becoming the first Episcopal Bishop of Ohio in 1818, 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 (32 km²) 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.^[10][11]

The Kenyon Review

Kenyon's English department gained national 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.

Academics

Majors Kenyon offers are: Art (Studio), Art History, Dance, Drama, English, Film, Music, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology, American Studies, International Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies.

Kenyon offers concentrations, which are interdisciplinary minors. They are: African and African-American Studies, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Integrated Program in Humane Studies, Islamic Civilizations and Cultures, Law and Society, Neuroscience, Public Policy, and Scientific Computing. Kenyon also offers opportunities for synoptic majors based on a process of academic approval by the College administration.

Kenyon requires students to take classes in each of the four academic divisions: Fine Arts (encompassing the departments of Art, Dance and Drama, and Music); Humanities (Classics, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Religious Studies); Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology); and Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology). In addition, students must show a basic competence in a foreign language, and also undertake a comprehensive senior exercise for their major during their senior year.

The Gund Gallery, a 31,000 square foot visual arts center and exhibition space, was founded in 2011. It hosts lectures, public programming and temporary exhibitions that are free and open to both the campus community and the wider public.^[12]

Kenyon is also home to the Beta of Ohio Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Athletics

Kenyon's sports teams, which compete in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), 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 swimming team is notable in NCAA Division III, for winning, from 1980 through 2010—an NCAA record 31 consecutive national championships—and then again from 2012 through 2015. The women's swimming team is also considered among the best, winning 23 titles of its own (not consecutively) since 1984. Former Swim Coach Jim Steen has coached the most conference titles in any sport in NCAA history. During the 1980s and 90s, Diving Coach Fletcher Gilders led his athletes to fourteen consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference championships and eight individual NCAA Division III titles; Gilders would also earn NCAA D3 Coach of the Year honors on three separate occasions. In 2013, under Head Coach Jess Book, the men's team won the national title and the women's team took second. Book was voted the 2013 NCAA Men’s Coach of the Year and the 2013 NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year, and Head Diving Coach Andy Scott was voted the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Diving Coach of the Year.

In 2006, Kenyon opened the $70 million Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC), a 263,000 square foot (24,434 m², 6 acre) building that houses an Olympic-sized swimming pool, two basketball courts, eight squash courts, a weight room, a 200m track, four tennis courts and other facilities. Field hockey, football and men's lacrosse are played at McBride Field which has a seating capacity of 1,762.^[13]

Rankings

In the 2016 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Kenyon is the No. 25 liberal arts college in the United States.^[14] Forbes magazine ranked Kenyon 42nd overall, and 5th in the Midwest, out of the 650 colleges and universities on its list of America's Best Colleges 2014.^[15] 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.^[16] It was also listed in Greene's list of Hidden Ivies in 2000.

Kenyon's campus also garners acclaim for its beauty; for example, it ranked 2nd on The Best College's "50 Most Amazing College Campuses for 2014".^[17]

Admissions

Ransom Hall, home of the Admissions Department

For the class of 2019 (enrolled fall 2015), Kenyon received 7,077 applications and accepted 1,689 (23.8%).^[18] The number enrolling for the class of 2018 was 452 making the yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who enroll) 27.2%.^[18] In terms of class rank, 62% of enrolled freshmen were in the top 10% of their high school classes.^[18] The mean SAT scores for the Class of 2016 were 679 for critical reading, 650 for math, and 672 for writing, while the middle 50% range of SAT scores were 630-730 for critical reading, 610-680 for math, and 630-720 for writing.^[18] The mean ACT Composite score was 30.1; the middle 50% range was 28-32.

Traditions

As Ohio's oldest private college, Kenyon has upheld some traditions for 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 tradition is the "First-Year Sing." Each year, entering first-years 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 the same 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 twenty-five presidents; former president S. Georgia Nugent was Kenyon's first female president, and current president Sean Decatur is Kenyon's first African-American president.^[19]

Student organizations

"Old Kenyon" (1827-29), a dormitory known for its Gothic revival architecture, has a steeple designed by architect Charles Bullfinch.^[20]

Media

• Hika, a literary magazine published once every spring semester
• The Kenyon Observer (political magazine)
• Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper)
• "The Kenyon Thrill" (blog-arm of the Collegian)
• "Her Campus Kenyon" (online literary and Kenyon lifestyle magazine)
• Kenyon Collegiate (satirical newspaper in the vein of The Onion)
• Kenyon Filmmakers (student filmmaking society)
• WKCO Records (student record label)
• WKCO 91.9 FM (student radio station)
• 56% (Kenyon's Women's Interest magazine), published by the Crozier Center for Women
• MESA Journal, published by the Middle East Student Association at Kenyon
• Persimmons, a literary magazine published once a semester

Non-varsity sports

• Kenyon College Equestrian
• Kenyon College Men's Rugby
• Kenyon College Women's Rugby
• Kenyon College Ultimate Frisbee (founded in 1976) [Men's and Women's]
• Kenyon College Squash
• Kenyon College Tennis
• Kenyon Club Soccer

Arts

Ascension Hall of Kenyon College

• The Chamber Singers, under the direction of Professor Benjamin Locke, is a select mixed choir consisting each year of approximately fifty undergraduate musicians who regard singing as an integral part of a liberal arts education. The group rehearses daily in order to prepare programs of a cappella music for Kenyon concerts as well as their annual Spring Tour.
• The Kokosingers are Kenyon's all-male a cappella group. Founded in 1965 by four freshmen, the Kokosingers are the second-oldest student-run singing group on campus, and the oldest original a cappella group on campus. The group performs a wide range of music from various artists. They also tour New England for two weeks in the wintertime, singing at high schools, colleges, and various Kenyon-affiliated events.
• The Chasers are a co-ed collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1964, the group is the oldest student singing group at the college, and the second oldest a cappella group on campus. Originally a folk-oriented vocal group accompanied by guitars, the Chasers switched to an a cappella-only format in the late 1960s, and continue this tradition today. They have recorded several albums over the course of the last 40 years, perform several times per year on campus, and tour throughout the country during January.
• The Owl Creek Singers is an all-female ensemble at Kenyon. Founded in 1975, the Owl Creeks perform regularly throughout campus, and tour over winter break. Their repertoire ranges from modern pop, to oldies. The Owl Creeks winter concert is typically the first Friday in December, and their spring concert is typically the Friday of Easter weekend.
• Take Five is Kenyon's jazz a cappella group, formed in 2002. In addition to bi-annual concerts, Take Five performs regularly at campus events and, as of 2007, tours nationally during winter break.
• The Cornerstones are Kenyon's only Christian a cappella group. Since organizing in 1998, they have supplied the campus with contemporary, classical, gospel, and Christian-inspired pop songs on a semiyearly basis. In addition, they have participated in several tours across various parts of the nation, and have performed at numerous churches and events around the Ohio area. They were the first a cappella group on campus to introduce beat-boxing.
• The Ransom Notes are a co-ed a cappella group that aims to have fun and participate in ICCAs. It was originally an all male group founded by Taylor Hartwell but added women in 2013.
• The Company is Kenyon's premiere musical theater student group. Students present full productions and musical revues every semester, specializing in Disney classics, musical theater, and unexpected contemporary songs from TV and film.
• Colla Voce is a treble-voice ensemble dedicated to the classical and folk traditions. A recent addition to the Kenyon's a capella scene, Colla Voce formed in the fall of 2009 and performs on campus once a semester, as well as at additional events in the surrounding community as needed.
• Männerchor is Kenyon's newest a cappella group. It was created in 2014 when a collection of men came together with a passion for music. While their repertoire spans several genres, the core of their music remains classical.
• Renegade Theatre, founded in 2002, 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.
• The Stairwells are Kenyon College's only folk group, made up of a variety of musicians and vocalists. Originally a smaller ensemble of four to five people with one guitar, the group has expanded to include as many as ten members, playing a variety of instruments.
• 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.
• Kenyon College Dance Team is a student-run organization that performs original hip-hop choreography at half-time at various sporting events and other campus activities throughout the year.
• Beyond Therapy is a student-run sketch comedy group. Founded in 1994, the group puts up two shows each year.
• Fools on the Hill is a student-run long form improv comedy group founded in 1986.
• Two Drink Minimum is a student-run stand-up comedy group.
• Brave Potato Productions, formerly Flashmob Theatre, is a student-run theatrical and filmmaking group that was founded in 2007.
• Stage Femmes is a theatrical group focusing on the work of women in the theater. It was reformed in 2012 after a period of absence.

Greek life

The Church of the Holy Spirit

Kenyon is home to twelve Greek organizations, consisting of seven international/national fraternities, one national sorority, three local sororities, and one local society (co-ed group). One local sorority, Kappa Sigma Alpha, recently became colonized by a national sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau. This is Kenyon College's only national sorority. The Fraternities are: Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon (Dekes), The Kenyon Chapter of The Alpha Delta Phi (ADs), Chi of Delta Tau Delta (Delts), Beta Alpha of Beta Theta Pi (Betas), Phi of Delta Phi (DPhis), Theta of Phi Kappa Sigma (Phi Kaps), and Zeta Kappa of Phi Kappa Tau (Phi Tau). The National Sorority is: Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau (Alpha Taus). The Local Sororities are: Theta Delta Phi (Thetas), Zeta Alpha Pi (Zetas), and Epsilon Delta Mu (EDMs). The Society is: Archon Society (Archons). A second Society, the Peeps O' Kenyon (PEEPS), decided to formally split from the College's Greek Council in 2014, but remains an active group on campus.^[21] Fraternity and sorority members live in campus housing.^[22]

2004 presidential election

Kenyon College attracted national attention after the 2004 presidential election during which, because of a shortage of voting machines and possibly a large number of new voter registrations,^[23] some students remained in line for as long as 13 hours to place their votes.^[24] The incident received attention in mainstream national news outlets such as The New York Times.^[25][26]

In spring 2006, John Kerry delivered the commencement address at Kenyon College, stating that he was "honored" by the students who waited in line during the election.^[27] During the 2008 presidential election campaign, the events at Kenyon in the 2004 election were remembered and recounted in discussions of voting policy^[28] and predictions of the outcome of the 2008 race.^[29]

Sustainability

Kenyon College has undertaken a number of sustainability initiatives, including a recycling system upgrade, a biodiesel project, a computer lab conversion to double-sided printing, the distribution of green living guides, as well as the creation of a dining hall composting system that diverts 6,000 pounds of waste from the landfill per week. Students partnered with administrators and/or professors to complete a campus energy audit for the past three years, as well as a carbon footprint calculation. Kenyon Green Alumni was founded to connect graduates "with a professional interest in the environment." The college recently received a "C" grade on the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, compiled by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.^[30]

Ivy, which once covered some buildings on the Kenyon campus, but damages stonework, has been eradicated.^[31]

People

US President Rutherford B. Hayes, class of 1842

Notable alumni of Kenyon College include:

US President Rutherford B. Hayes (class of 1842); US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (1834); US Supreme Court Justices David Davis (1832) and Stanley Matthews (1840); Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme (1948); Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman (1949); comedian Jonathan Winters (1950); Emmy Award-winning actress Allison Janney (1982); National Book Award-winning novelist William H. Gass (1947); author John Green (2000); cartoonist and Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson (1980); actor and filmmaker Josh Radnor of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother (1996) and singer and musician Nicholas Petricca of band Walk the Moon (2009).

Miscellany

• Kenyon College was one of a number of liberal arts colleges to drop from the US News and World Report college rankings in June 2007. Kenyon College President Georgia S. Nugent likened the Report's self-evaluation materials as similar to a customer satisfaction survey from "a Howard Johnson's Hotel."^[32][33]
• The city of Kenyon, Minnesota was named in honor of Kenyon College.^[34]
• The school song "I Want a Kenyon Man" was featured in the closing credits of the film Liberal Arts (2012). The film, directed by Kenyon alumnus Josh Radnor, was also shot mostly on campus.
• David Foster Wallace delivered the 2005 commencement address, which was later recognized as one of the top ten commencement addresses by Time Magazine^[35] and adapted into the essay "This Is Water".

References

Further reading

• Kluge, P.F., Alma Mater: A College Homecoming, Addison-Wesley (November 1993), hardcover, 252 pages, ISBN 978-0201567939

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kenyon College.

• Official website
• Official athletics website