Kenyon College
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| Kenyon College | |
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| Motto: | Magnanimiter Crucem Sustine |
| Established: | 1824 |
| Type: | liberal arts college |
| Endowment: | $193 million[1] (6/30/07) |
| President: | S. Georgia Nugent |
| Staff: | 182 |
| Undergraduates: | 1,640 |
| Postgraduates: | 0 |
| Location: | Gambier, OH, USA |
| Campus: | Rural, 1,000 acres (4 km²) including a 380 acre (1.5 km²) nature preserve |
| Athletics: | 22 varsity teams, 52 national championships (28 Men's Swimming, 21 Women's Swimming, 3 Women's Tennis) |
| Colors: | Purple and White |
| Mascot: | Lords (men's teams) and Ladies (women's teams) |
| Website: | www.kenyon.edu |
Kenyon College is a highly selective, 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. Old Kenyon Hall, built in 1827, is believed to be the oldest Gothic revival building in the Americas, though it has burnt twice and been rebuilt. The 2005 Princeton Review and Fiske Guide to Colleges 2005 awarded the college 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.
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[edit] 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 (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. [2][3]
[edit] Academics
Kenyon's 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.
Aside from English, other majors Kenyon offers are: Art (Studio), Art History, Dance and Drama, 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.
One can obtain a minor in most of these departments. Kenyon does offer concentrations, which are interdisciplinary minors. They are: African and African-American Studies, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Integrated Program in Humane Studies, 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.
[edit] Athletics
Kenyon's sports teams, which compete in the North Coast Athletic Conference, 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 considered the best in NCAA Division III, for winning, from 1980 through 2008, an NCAA record 29 consecutive national championships. The women's swimming team is also considered among the best, winning 21 titles of its own (not consecutively) since 1984. Swim Coach Jim Steen has coached the most conference titles in any sport in NCAA history.
In 2006, Kenyon opened the $70 million Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC), a 263,000 square foot (24,434 m²) building that houses an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a basketball court, squash courts, weight room, and other facilities.
[edit] 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 fourteen presidents, and currently has its first female president, S. Georgia Nugent.
[edit] Student organizations
[edit] Media
- Hika Kenyon's oldest student-run literary journal. Contributors have included Robert Lowell, 1940; James Wright, 1952; Allison Joseph, 1988; Saskia Hamilton, 1989; and Laura Hillenbrand. Founded in 1925, it preceded The Kenyon Review.
- The Kenyon Observer (political magazine)
- The Voice (social and political magazine)
- The Kenyon Daily Jolt (student life website)[1]
- Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper)[2]
- Ascension Films (student filmmaking society)
- Horn Records (student record label)
- WKCO Kenyon's entirely student-run radio station, serving the greater Gambier area at 91.9 FM during the calendar year.[3]
- 56% (Kenyon's Women's Interest magazine), published by the Crozier Center for Women
[edit] Non-Varsity Sports
- Kenyon College Ice Hockey
- Kenyon College Men's Rugby
- Kenyon College Women's Rugby
- Kenyon College Ultimate Frisbee (founded in 1976)
- Kenyon College Squash
[edit] Arts
- The Chamber Singers, under the direction of Professor Benjamin Locke, is a select mixed choir consisting of forty-three undergraduate musicians who regard singing as an integral part of a liberal arts education. The group rehearses daily in order to prepare programs of both a cappella and accompanied 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 capella group on campus. The group performs a wide range of music from various artists.
- The Chasers are Kenyon's co-ed collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1964, the group is the oldest student singing group at the college. Originally a folk-oriented vocal group accompanied by guitars, the Chasers switched to an acapella-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.
- 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 Owl Creek Singers are Kenyon's all female a capella group. Founded in 1975, the Owl Creeks perform regularly throughout campus, and tour over 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 bi-yearly 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.
- 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.
- 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.[4]
- Beyond Therapy Sketch comedy group. Founded in 1994, the group puts up two shows each year.
[edit] People
[edit] College presidents
- Philander Chase (1825-1831)
- Charles Pettit McIlvaine (1832-1840)
- David Bates Douglass (1840-1844)
- Samuel Fuller (acting, 1844-1845)
- Sherlock A. Bronson (1845-1850)
- Thomas M. Smith (1850-1854)
- Lorin Andrews (1854-1861)
- Benjamin L. Lang (acting, 1861-1863)
- Charles Short (1863-1867)
- James Kent Stone (1867-1868)
- Eli Todd Tappan (1868-1875)
- Edward C. Benson (acting, 1875-1876)
- William B. Bodine (1876-1891)
- Theodore Sterling (1891-1896)
- William Foster Peirce (1896-1937)
- Gordon Keith Chalmers (1937-1956)
- Frank E. Bailey (acting, 1956-1957)
- F. Edward Lund (1957-1968)
- William G. Caples (1968-1975)
- Philip H. Jordan Jr. (1975-1995)
- Reed S. Browning (acting, 1989)
- Robert A. Oden Jr. (1995-2002)
- Ronald A. Sharp (acting, 2002-2003)
- S. Georgia Nugent (2003-present)
[edit] Notable faculty members, past and present
- Virgil Aldrich, Philosophy
- Robert O. Fink, Classics
- P. F. Kluge, English
- Perry Lentz, English
- Franklin Miller Jr., Physics
- John Crowe Ransom, English
- Charles Ritcheson, History
- Richard Salomon, History
- Denham Sutcliffe, English
- Allen Tate, English
Visiting Faculty
- John Kinsella, English
- Claire Messud, English
- Barry Unsworth, English
- James Wood, English
[edit] Notable alumni
- Caleb Carr
- E. L. Doctorow
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- Allison Janney
- Robert Lowell
- Paul Newman
- Olof Palme
- Bill Watterson
- Graham Gund
- Barry Goode
[edit] Trivia
Kenyon College is the largest landowner in Gambier, Ohio, a town of about 600 year-round residents.
Kenyon President Chalmers was a friend of Robert Frost.
Kenyon College was one of a number of liberal arts colleges to drop from the US News and World Report college rankings in June of 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 restaurant." [4]
The current tuition cost of Kenyon College is $38,140.00 per year. Room and Board is $6,250.00 per year.
The Kenyon Athletic Center was built for $70,000,000.00.[5] The funding of that building included donations and gifts from numerous alumni, faculty, and other supporters of Kenyon College.
The city of Kenyon, MN was named in honor of Kenyon College.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Endowment grows to $193 million - News
- ^ Well, this will do! explained
- ^ A Biography of Philander Chase
- ^ http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/118241538436950.xml&coll=2
- ^ 70 million... and counting - News
- ^ City of Kenyon - Welcome to the City of Kenyon...A Great Place to Grow - History
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper)
- Five Colleges of Ohio
- Great Lakes Colleges Association
- Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion/Association of Episcopal Collge
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