Founders' Day
Let us now invoke the memory of the famous
and the humble who have made a college in this place,
who have bequeathed to us its heritage and traditions,
and who have left to us the example of their lives.
Founders' Day celebrates the unbroken line of people who have formed the College's strong foundation, from Bishop Philander Chase and his benefactors, to professors, students, and alumni of the distant and recent past, to the women who brought coeducation to Kenyon in 1969, to current alumni, to all the members of the present-day administration, faculty, staff, and student body.
A short address is given by a member of the faculty relating to an aspect of the College's history or traditions that may be unfamiliar to the community. Following the ceremony, the incoming class plants a tree on the College grounds to symbolize not only growth and continuity but also, as the interests of the student body evolve to reflect current issues and global concerns, the importance of preserving the campus environment for future generations.
- Events for Founders' Day 2009
- Founders' Memorial
- Matriculation Oath and Book
- Bishop Philander Chase Medals for Distinguished Service
Events for Founders' Day 2009
Founders' Day Ceremony - Thursday, October 29
11:10 a.m. in Rosse Hall Auditorium
Reading of the Founders' Memorial
Professor Jonathan Tazewell '84
Founders' Day Address
College Historian Thomas Stamp '73
The Rite of Matriculation
Dean Henry Toutain and the Class of 2013
Bishop Philander Chase Medals for Distinguished Service
President Georgia Nugent
Introduction of New Phi Beta Kappa Members
Provost Nayef Samhat
First Gift of the Class of 2013
Planting of the Class Tree
Post-Ceremony Events
Signing of the Matriculation Book
12:30-4:30 p.m. in the Greenslade Special Collections Room
Ascension Hall Sesquicentennial Reception
3:00-4:00 p.m. in Philomathesian Room
Kenyon Authors' Reception
4:00 p.m. in the Greenslade Special Collections Room (speaking at 4:30 p.m.)
All First-Year Show, Renegade Theater
8:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre
The Old Bank Building
Moonchildren by Michael Weller
Bonfire in the First-Year Quad
10:00 p.m. on North Campus
Check out our posters!
Founders' Day - First-Year Events
Founders' Memorial
The Founders' Memorial, read by a member of the faculty, serves not only as an annual reminder of Kenyon's founders but also as a tribute to those who have contributed to the College's health and welfare down to the present day. The names of prominent alumni and members of the administration, faculty, staff, and student body who have died in the preceding year are read and remembered. The memorial closes with a call to all members of the Kenyon community to be voices for justice and peace in the world.
Text of the Founders' Memorial
Matriculation Oath and Book
The College's Matriculation Oath was instituted in 1841 by Kenyon's third president, David Bates Douglass. In taking the oath, which is taken by all first-year and transfer students as part of the Founders' Day program, students vow to be obedient to College regulations, to serve as good examples to others, and to be loyal sons and daughters of Kenyon. Students who have taken the oath are then invited to sign the College's Matriculation Book, in which the signatures, dating back to 1841, include those of many illustrious alumni, among them U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, valedictorian of the Class of 1842.
Text of the Matriculation Oath
Bishop Philander Chase Medals for Distinguished Service
As a mark of gratitude and respect, Kenyon recognizes each faculty member as he or she celebrates twenty-five years of teaching at the College. The presentation of Philander Chase Medals for Distinguished Service to these professors was added to the Founders' Day program in Fall 2009.