Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Columbus, the state capital. Denison is a member of the Five Colleges of Ohio, the Great Lakes Colleges Association, and the North Coast Athletic Conference.

History[link]

On December 13, 1831, John Pratt, the college's first president and a graduate of Brown University, inaugurated classes at the Granville Literary and Theological Institution.^[2] Situated on a 200-acre farm south of the village of Granville, it was the first Baptist college west of the Allegheny mountains.^[2] While rooted in theological education, the institution submitted students to the same literary and scientific instruction common to other colleges of the day.^[2] The first term included 37 students, 27 of whom hailed from Granville; nearly half of these students were under fifteen years of age.^[3] The school's first Commencement, which graduated three classical scholars, was held in 1840.^[3]

In 1845, the institution, which at this point was male-only, officially changed its name to Granville College.^[3] In 1853, William S. Denison, a Muskingum County farmer, pledged $10,000 toward the college's endowment. Honoring an earlier commitment, the trustees accordingly changed the name of the institution to Denison University. They also voted to move the college to land then available for purchase in the village of Granville.^[4]

In the years leading up to the Civil War, many students and faculty members at Denison University became heavily involved in the anti-slavery movement. Professor Asa Drury, the chair of Greek and Latin studies, became the leader of a local anti-slavery society, while Bancroft House, now a residential hall, served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.^[5][6]

The roots of coeducation at Denison University began in December 1832 with the establishment of the Granville Female Seminary, founded by Charles Sawyer a year before Oberlin launched the first coeducational college in the United States.^[7][8] The seminary was superseded by the Young Ladies' Institute, founded in 1859 by Dr. and Mrs. Nathan S. Burton.^[9] The Young Ladies' Institute was sold to Reverend Dr. Daniel Shepardson in 1868 and was renamed the Shepardson College for Women in 1886.^[10] Shepardson College was incorporated as part of Denison University in 1900, with the two colleges becoming fully consolidated in 1927.^[11][12]

In 1887, Denison inaugurated a master's program, with resident graduates pursuing advanced studies in the sciences.^[13] Within a few years, the institution considered offering graduate programs on the doctoral level.^[14] In 1926, the Board of Trustees formalized a new curriculum that would make Denison University an exclusively undergraduate institution.^[15]

In the wake of Shepardson College's incorporation, Denison University made plans for enlargement of its campus. In 1916, the college sought the expertise of the Frederick Law Olmsted & Sons architectural firm, the founder of which had designed Central Park in New York City. The resulting "Olmstead Plan" laid a foundation for expansion that has remained the guiding aesthetic for subsequent growth, establishing and maintaining a pedestrian-friendly campus, while also preserving scenic views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Expansion during this period included the acquisition of land to the north and east, the transfer of Shepardson College to the east ridge of College Hill, and the development of a new men's quadrangle beyond the library.^[16]

During World War II, Denison was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.^[17]

While the college's origins were rooted in theological education, Denison University has been a non-sectarian institution since the 1960s.^[18] By 1970, the college reached its present size of approximately 2,000 students.^[19]

Campus[link]

A view of the Academic Quad from Chapel Walk

The campus size is about 900 acres (4 km²). This includes a 550 acre (1.4 km²) biological reserve just east of campus, where professors of sciences like geology and biology can hold class. Notable landmarks include the following:

The first building in the ambitious "Greater Denison" plan, Swasey Chapel stands at the center of the campus. The chapel seats 990 and plays host to notable campus events such as baccalaureate services, lectures, concerts, and academic award convocations.^[20]

Built in 1937, Doane Library today houses more than 400,000 books and bound periodicals.^[21]

Swasey Observatory, which opened in June 1910, houses a 9-inch refracting telescope as well as two 8-inch reflecting telescopes.^[22]

The Bryant Arts Center opened in August 2009. The building originally was constructed in 1904 as a men's gymnasium and later became a student union; today, it is the home of the studio art and art history departments. The 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m²) facility has studios for ceramics, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and digital media, while also featuring fully electronic classrooms, open gallery spaces, an art history resource room, outdoor performance spaces, a common area for studio art seniors, and independent studios for faculty.^[23]

Slayter Union features lounges, a snack bar, bookstore, student mailboxes, a 302-seat auditorium, as well as offices for student organizations.^[24]

Students[link]

As of the 2011-12 school year, 2,162 students are enrolled at Denison. They come from 50 states, Washington, DC, and 35 countries. A full-time faculty of 212 professors makes the student-to-faculty ratio 10:1.^[25] Over the past several years, Denison University has made great strides in attracting a diverse student population, and multicultural students now represent 25 percent of the current first-year class. The college's students, faculty and staff were honored in 2008 by the State of Ohio for "promoting understanding, racial unity and the appreciation of diversity."^[26]

The university currently has a 49% acceptance rate; out of 4,720 applicants for the class of 2014, 2,328 were accepted and 625 enrolled.^[27]

Academics[link]

Denison offers three types of degrees: B.A., B.S., and B.F.A. The most popular majors are Economics, Biology, Communication, Psychology, History, and English. Students can create their own major (called an interdepartmental major).

Student life[link]

Swasey Observatory (foreground) and Swasey Chapel (background)

Denison is a strictly residential campus that features a mixture of historic and contemporary buildings. Housing options include single, double, triple, and quadruple rooms, as well as suites of six. However the eight and nine person rooms have been changed to six person suites. There are various apartments across campus and several satellite houses for seniors.

Student programs and organizations[link]

Chapel Walk during the fall season

The Denison Campus Governance Association (DCGA) is the Denison student governing body, in which all students are members.^[31] The DCGA Student Senate is the primary representative body of students on Denison's campus, and it has been involved in various student initiatives: from postponing quiet hours in the fall of 2007 to drafting the Code of Academic Integrity adopted in the fall of 2009^[32] to encouraging the University President to sign onto the Presidents' Climate Commitment.^[33] The DCGA Finance Committee is responsible for financially supporting over 100 student clubs and organizations with a budget of over $800,000, providing the Denison community with opportunities to participate in athletics, write for several publications, volunteer in the local community, learn about various cultures, and attend well-known speakers, among other endeavors. They hold an annual Denison Day (or "DDay" for short) concert, which has featured artists such as Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, The Roots, Reel Big Fish, Mos Def, Jay Sean, and Asher Roth.

The University Programming Council (UPC) is the main programming body on campus. It annually brings in concerts, comedians, hypnotists, and other forms of entertainment to campus. Other organizations on campus which bring speakers and films include the Denison Film Society (DFS) and the Denison Lecture Series.

The campus radio station, WDUB, features 24 hour programming and broadcasts both on the airwaves 91.1 FM and online at www.doobieradio.com The station was notably featured in American Eagle stores across the country through the summer of 2009.

The Denisonian is the oldest student organization on campus and prints ten issues per semester.

The Lilly Program provides opportunities for students in various settings to reflect upon their career paths and the relationship between their plans and personal values. Additionally, professional careers in religion may be explored, such as through internships. The Alford Center was established in 1997 through a bequest from local philanthropist John W. Alford. The Center provides resources and support for Denison students, faculty and staff to address community issues through volunteerism and service learning courses. The Center also administers an America Reads literacy program serving 10 Licking County elementary schools. In 2009, Denison students committed more than 37,000 hours to community service.

Denison Community Association (DCA) is a volunteer service organization, led by students and entirely student operated. DCA is the umbrella organization for 24 committees that recruit and train Denison students to volunteer at local community sites.

Greek life[link]

Denison has ten fraternities and eight sororities. Fewer students are currently participating in Greek life than they have historically. In the 1980s, over 60% of the student body belonged to a Greek organization. Currently, Greek participation by students is about 40%, with more women participating than men. Greek organizations at Denison are overseen by three ruling bodies: the Interfraternity Council or IFC for traditionally white fraternities, the National Panhellenic Conference for traditionally white sororities, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council for traditionally African-American or minority-focused fraternities and sororities.

The IFC fraternities include Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, and Sigma Phi Epsilon. The Panhellenic Conference sororities are Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Pi Beta Phi. Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, a Phi Iota Alpha colony, Delta Sigma Theta, and a Sigma Lambda Gamma colony operate under the National Pan-Hellenic Council system. A chapter of Phi Gamma Delta operates underground and is not recognized by the college or the national fraternity; in addition, a local underground fraternity by the name of Kappa Zeta operates as the remnant of the "old" Kappa Sigma as it existed before 2004.

Traditions and folklore[link]

D-Day, the successor to the college's old Scrap Day, is a celebration of the entire college, put on once a year by the DCGA.^[34]

Kirtley Mather, Class of 1909, named the tallest peak in Alaska's Aleutian Peninsula "Mt. Denison." In 1978, a group of students, professors, and alumni successfully scaled the mountain—a feat repeated nearly 20 years later by another Denison group.^[35]

Denison has one of the few remaining college cemeteries in Ohio. Among those buried on Sunset Hill are Jonathan Going, the college's second president, and Elisha Andrews, its sixth.^[36]

Athletics[link]

A view of Deeds Field-Piper Stadium from College Hill

Denison is a member of the NCAA and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) since the conference’s formation in 1984. As a part of the 10-member conference Denison boasts a league-record 11 Dennis M. Collins Awards which is given to the NCAC school that performs best across the conference’s 23 sponsored sports. Denison won nine consecutive All-Sports Awards between 1997–98 and 2005-06.^[37] Denison’s remaining two awards were earned in 1985-86^[38] and 2008-09.^[39]

In 2001 the Denison Women’s Swimming and Diving team captured the school’s first NCAA Division III national championship by snapping Kenyon College’s streak of 17-consecutive national championships.^[40] Following this, the Denison Men's Swimming and Diving team defeated Kenyon to capture the 2011 NCAA National Title by 1 point ^[41] ending the Lords' 31-year streak of championships.

In both men’s and women’s swimming and diving, Denison has posted 47 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III championships. During that span, Denison has placed either second or third, nationally, 26-times.^[42]

Denison alumnus Woody Hayes ’35 spent three seasons as the head football coach at Denison from 1946-48. In 1947 and 1948 he guided the Big Red to undefeated seasons.^[43]

In 1954 Keith Piper took over as the head football coach, a position he would remain in for 39 seasons. Piper won a school record, 200 games and in 1985 he guided the program to their first 10-0 season with his antique single-wing offense. Denison qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs that season before falling to Mt. Union in the opening round.^[44]

Women’s basketball at Denison has emerged as a national contender under head coach Sara Lee. Denison’s 2010-11 squad completed the first 28-0 regular season in women’s basketball in the NCAC and have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the seventh time in school history and their sixth time out of the last seven seasons.^[45]

The Denison men’s and women’s lacrosse programs have had their share of conference and national success. The two programs have combined for 28 NCAA Division III tournament berths.^[46][47] In 1999 and 2001 the Denison men’s lacrosse team advances to the semifinal (Final 4) of the NCAA Division III Tournament [10] and most recently, in 2009, the Big Red advanced to the national quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament before falling to Gettysburg.^[48]

In 2008 the Denison women’s tennis team advanced to the NCAA semifinals, eventually winning the consolation match to place third overall, marking the program’s best national finish.^[49] That same year the doubles team of sophomore Marta Drane and freshman Kristen Cobb advanced to the championship match of the Division III Doubles championship before falling to Brittany Berckes and Alicia Menezes of Amherst in the finals.^[50]

The Denison women’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time in school history in 2010.^[51] The previous appearance occurred in 2005.^[52] Overall the program has qualified for the NCAA Tournament 14-times.^[53]

Denison boasts 43 NCAA postgraduate scholars^[54] and 58 Academic All-Americans.^[55]

People[link]

University presidents[link]

• John Pratt (1831–1837)
• Jonathan Going (1837–1844)
• Silas Bailey (1846–1852)
• Jeremiah Hall (1853–1863)
• Samson Talbot (1863–1873)
• Elisha Andrews (1875–1879)
• Alfred Owen (1879–1886)
• Galusha Anderson (1887–1889)
• Daniel B. Purinton (1890–1901)
• Emory W. Hunt (1901–1912)
• Clark W. Chamberlain (1913–1925)
• Avery A. Shaw (1927–1940)
• Kenneth I. Brown (1940–1950)
• A. Blair Knapp (1951–1968)
• Joel P. Smith (1969–1976)
• Robert C. Good (1976–1984)
• Andrew G. De Rocco (1984–1988)
• Michele Tolela Myers (1989–1998)
• Dale T. Knobel (1998–2013)

Alumni[link]

Notable alumni include actors Steve Carell, Hal Holbrook and Jennifer Garner, football coach Woody Hayes, ESPN president George Bodenheimer, producer Arnold Engelman and former Disney Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner.

External links[link]

• Denison University - official website

References[link]