GAMBIER — The Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial campaign concluded in June as the most successful in Kenyon College history, with a total of $532,122,343 dedicated to transforming the campus and educational experiences of current and future students.
The campaign was publicly launched in 2018 under then-President Sean Decatur with a goal of $300 million, bolstered by a then-record $75 million gift that allowed for the construction of a campus West Quad that included a new library as well as academic and admissions buildings.
A record-setting commitment of $100 million in January 2021 by an anonymous donor provided for the construction of two new South Campus residence halls, propelling the campaign to new heights.
The first residence hall will open to students in January 2025.
Historic Achievement
The $532 million total exceeds all giving to Kenyon in previous campaigns combined. Such success also puts Kenyon in good company with peers such as Bowdoin College, Wellesley College and Colby College who have crossed the half-billion mark.
“It is fitting that this incredible, precedent-setting campaign concluded in our bicentennial year when we are celebrating Kenyon’s history and the philanthropy that has sustained it for two centuries,” said President Julie Kornfeld, who joined Kenyon in October 2023.
Increasing Access through Scholarships
Throughout the campaign, donors gave to scholarship funds in honor of loved ones, out of gratitude for their own Kenyon experience and to allow the College to remain focused on admitting the most talented students, regardless of need.
Both the Sean Decatur Endowed Scholarship Fund, established by a donor in honor of Kenyon’s 19th president, and Kenyon Access Initiative, launched in 2021 with a matching grant, support these efforts with scholarships for outstanding students from families with limited resources and other underrepresented students.
“As we continue to advocate for the necessity of the liberal arts, an important element is ensuring the experience is accessible,” Kornfeld said.
“I am gratified and encouraged to have the continued partnership of so many people who love Kenyon and understand that their philanthropy directly supports the values — and value — of what we offer here.”
Support for the people of Kenyon — faculty and students — was at the heart of the campaign.
Thousands of donors combined to give more than $110 million to endowed scholarship funds, which will provide funds annually for scholarships, forever, nearly doubling the amount of scholarship funding provided by the endowment.
People and Places
The campaign also inspired new endowed funds for named professorships, two positions at The Gund and Kenyon’s first endowed head coach position.
Investments were made in high impact experiences for students such as community engaged learning, internship support funds and undergraduate research, including summer scholars.
In addition to the West Quad, campaign support also provided for an update to downtown Gambier, including a renovated bookstore, market and student apartments, adding new life to the village core.
This bicentennial year was kicked off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at Bexley Hall, newly converted to student residences, a project made possible in part by donor funding.
Such capital improvements and endowment growth, by design, represent investments in the future of Kenyon College.
Building the endowment remains a critical priority to further strengthen the college’s resources.
Daily Impact
Throughout the campaign, gifts to the College’s annual funds — including the Kenyon Fund and Kenyon Parents Fund — supported every element of the daily student experience.
During the pandemic, Kenyon donors directed additional support to students through success funds and repeatedly showed that Kenyon is a cause worthy of support through giving challenges.
The campaign prompted many donors to increase or renew their giving to the annual funds, which also saw record giving in the most recent fiscal year.
Many alumni — and students — also made their first gift to Kenyon during the campaign, beginning a philanthropic relationship with the College that will be necessary for a third century of academic excellence.
“These results are spectacular, but not surprising,” said Rose Fealy, Class of 1984 and tri-chair for the campaign leadership committee along with David Horvitz and Jim Parker, Classes of 1974 and 1981, respectively.
“The Kenyon community — more than 12,000 alumni, and so many others — has such strong love and commitment to the College, I’m not surprised that our donors responded in force, exceeding this challenge for the future of Kenyon.”
Kenyon College
About Kenyon College: Founded in 1824, Kenyon is the oldest private college in Ohio and the first institution in the U.S. to implement the model of faculty members serving as academic advisors.
With a curriculum rooted in the liberal arts, Kenyon students and faculty aspire to a nuanced understanding of the world and all who inhabit it.
Kenyon is a top producer of Fulbright Fellows and ranks second among Division III institutions for fostering NCAA Postgraduate Scholars.
Home to the Kenyon Review, one of the nation’s most esteemed literary magazines, Kenyon celebrates a rich literary tradition that promotes writing across academic disciplines.