Kenyon College facts for kids
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| Latin: Collegii Kenyonensis | |
| Motto | Magnanimiter Crucem Sustine (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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"Valiantly bear the cross" |
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | 1824 |
| Endowment | $560 million (2023) |
| President | Julie Kornfeld |
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Academic staff
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213 |
| Undergraduates | 1,877 |
| Location |
,
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United States
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| Campus | Rural, 1,000 acres (400 ha) including a 380-acre (150 ha) nature preserve |
| Newspaper | The Kenyon Collegian |
| Colors | Purple and White |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III – NCAC |
| Moniker | Owls |
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Kenyon College
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Gambier, Ohio |
| Built | 1824 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001447 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1975 |
Kenyon College is a private college in Gambier, Ohio, USA. It was started in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private college in Ohio. About 1,800 students attend Kenyon College. Students can choose from over 50 different subjects to study.
The college is on a hill near the Kokosing River. Its campus is about 1,000 acres. This includes a 380-acre nature preserve. There are over 120 student clubs. Kenyon sports teams are called the Owls. They compete in NCAA Division III sports.
Contents
History of Kenyon College
How Kenyon College Started
In 1818, Philander Chase became the first Episcopal Bishop of Ohio. He saw that Ohio needed more trained church leaders. So, he traveled to England to ask for money. He received donations from important people like George Kenyon and Lord Gambier. The college officially started in December 1824.
Bishop Chase was not happy with the first location of the college. He bought 8,000 acres of land in Knox County, Ohio. On July 24, 1825, he arrived at this new spot. He named it Gambier Hill.
The Kenyon Review Literary Magazine
Kenyon College's English department became well-known. This happened when poet John Crowe Ransom joined in 1937. He was a professor and the first editor of The Kenyon Review. This is a famous literary magazine. For 21 years, Ransom published works by many great writers. These included Flannery O'Connor and Robert Lowell. The magazine was very important in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Kenyon Review also offers summer writing workshops. These are for high school students and adults. Kenyon students can also work with the Review staff. They learn about editing and publishing.
Academics at Kenyon
Kenyon is a four-year college focused on liberal arts. This means students study many different subjects. There are 18 main departments and 14 programs. Students can choose from over 50 majors and minors. Kenyon asks students to take classes in four main areas. These are fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Students also need to study a foreign language.
The most popular majors in 2021 were English, Economics, Psychology, Political Science, and Biology. The school year has two semesters. Students take four classes each semester. There are also chances for research in the summer.
Kenyon has over 200 full-time professors. Almost all of them have a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field. Professors teach all classes. There is one professor for every 10 students.
Kenyon offers more than 190 study abroad programs. These are in 50 different countries. Students can study in places like the University of Exeter in England or in Rome, Italy.
Center for the Study of American Democracy
Kenyon's Center for the Study of American Democracy (CSAD) started in 2007. It holds events to help people talk about politics in a fair way. Students can join the Center as advisors. They help plan events and get more students involved.
Gund Gallery
The Gund Gallery opened in 2011. It is a large building for visual arts. It has art shows and public events. It displays art from traveling exhibits and its own collection.
Admissions to Kenyon
Getting into Kenyon is considered "most selective." This means it's quite hard to get in.
For the class that started in fall 2018, Kenyon received over 6,100 applications. They accepted about 2,200 students. About 540 students chose to enroll. For these new students, the middle scores on the SAT were between 640 and 730 for reading. For math, scores were between 640 and 740. The middle ACT score range was 29–33. The average GPA was 3.94.
College Rankings
Kenyon College often ranks well among colleges. In 2006, Newsweek magazine called Kenyon one of the "New Ivies." This means it's considered a top college like the Ivy League schools. It was also listed in Hidden Ivies in 2000.
In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Kenyon as the No. 39 liberal arts college in the United States. Forbes magazine ranked Kenyon 40th among liberal arts colleges in 2022. It was also ranked 176th among all colleges in the U.S.
Kenyon has also been recognized for being welcoming to LGBTQ students. It was ranked as one of the best campuses for LGBTQ students in 2020 and 2021.
Athletics at Kenyon
Kenyon's sports teams play in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Until 2022, they were called the Lords and Ladies. Now, their new nickname is the Owls. In the past, they were also known by other names like the Mauve or the Purple.
The men's swim team is very famous. They won 31 national championships in a row from 1980 to 2010. They also won titles from 2012 to 2015. This gives them a total of 34 national titles. The women's swim team has won 24 national titles since 1984. Their most recent win was in 2022.
In 2006, Kenyon opened the Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC). This is a very large building for sports. It is about 263,000 square feet. Sports like field hockey and football are played at McBride Field. This field can seat 1,762 people.
In 2019, Kenyon was one of the first colleges to join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s LGBTQ OneTeam Program. This program supports inclusion in college sports.
Traditions at Kenyon
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Kenyon is Ohio's oldest private college. It has many traditions that are almost 200 years old. All new students take an oath and sign a special book. This book has been used for over a century.
Another tradition is the "First-Year Sing." New students gather to sing Kenyon songs. They do this before they officially become part of the college. The day before graduation, older students sing the same songs again.
Students at Kenyon avoid stepping on the college seal. This seal is in the entrance hall of Peirce Dining Hall. The tradition says that if you step on it, you won't graduate.
The Church of the Holy Spirit is one of Kenyon's oldest buildings. It has 10 bells that play a traditional tune. These bells were put in in 1879. A student group called the Kenyon Pealers rings them every Friday.
When a new president starts at the college, candles are lit in every window of Old Kenyon. This is a sign of welcome. A bell in Old Kenyon's steeple is also rung. It is rung when a new president starts. It has also been rung when the U.S. is no longer at war. And it rings when the Kenyon football team wins a home game.
Kenyon has had 25 presidents. S. Georgia Nugent was the first female president. Sean Decatur was the first African-American president. The president wears a special purple gown. It has a medallion with the names of all past presidents.
The college's official song is "The Thrill." But "Kokosing Farewell" is sung more often at ceremonies. This song is sung to the tune of an old hymn. It is often the last song at concerts by the Kenyon College Chamber Singers.
Kenyon keeps its ceremonies very formal. During graduation, degrees are given to students entirely in Latin. Kenyon's diplomas are also written completely in Latin.
Shield and Seal of Kenyon College
The first Kenyon seal was made by 1842. It had a book, a cross, a scroll, and a telescope. It also had the words "Sigillum Collegi Kenyonensis." This first seal is rarely used now.
Kenyon's current shield comes from the coat of arms of Lord Kenyon. He was one of the college's first and most important supporters. The shield has a chevron and three crosses. It also shows a book with the college's motto: magnanimiter crucem sustine. This means "valiantly bear the cross." The book rests on a bishop's staff. This represents the college's founder, Bishop Philander Chase. The shield is now a common symbol for the college. A version of the shield is used for the college's sports teams. It has "Kenyon" in block letters instead of the book and staff.
In 2011, a clothing company called Ralph Lauren stopped making a necktie. This tie showed the Kenyon shield. They stopped because they did not have permission from the college to use it.
Sustainability Efforts
Kenyon College works to be environmentally friendly. They have improved their recycling system. They also have a project that makes biodiesel fuel. Computer labs now print on both sides of the paper. They give out guides on green living. Their dining hall also composts food waste. This keeps 6,000 pounds of waste out of landfills each week. Kenyon's cafeteria also tries to use local food.
Students, staff, and professors have worked together. They checked how much energy the campus uses. They also figured out the college's carbon footprint.
The Kenyon Farm grows crops and raises animals. It provides food to local markets. It also teaches students about small-scale farming.
Ivy used to cover some buildings at Kenyon. But ivy can damage stone. So, it has been removed.
Notable Alumni
Many famous people have attended Kenyon College. Here are a few:
- U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes (1842)
- U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (1834)
- Actor Paul Newman (1949)
- Actor Allison Janney (1982)
- Author John Green (2000)
- Poet Robert Lowell (1940)
- Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme (1948)
- Cartoonist Bill Watterson (1980)
- Actor and filmmaker Josh Radnor (1996)
Images for kids
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Kenyon's First Seal
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Current Shield of Kenyon College
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Flag of Kenyon College with shield
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A flag variant used by some students
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Coat of Arms of Lord Kenyon
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Shield of the Seminary at Bexley Hall
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Edwin M. Stanton, U.S. Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration, attended from 1831 to 1833.
