Carolyn Batt, a retired member of the registrar’s office who was known for her intellectual curiosity and empathy, died on Feb. 8 at the age of 85. A longtime resident of Gambier who had recently relocated to Tennessee, she served the College for more than 25 years, from 1974-2003.
Born March 10, 1938 in Evanston, Illinois, Batt graduated as valedictorian from the University of Rochester in New York, where she met her husband — Russell Batt, now Kenyon professor emeritus of chemistry — as lab partners during their freshman year. They went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a master’s degree in chemistry and then worked for Shell Oil translating complex chemistry manuals from Russian into English.
“She was literally the smartest person I know — Dad being second,” her son, Brian Batt, said.
A stay-at-home mom when her young family moved to Gambier in 1969, she joined the College in 1974 as a clerk-typist in the Office of Records and Institutional Research. She transitioned to assistant registrar in 1977 and then to associate registrar in 1992 and remained in that role until her retirement in 2003.
Serving Kenyon and its students — for whom she created diplomas — was a source of great pride for Batt, particularly getting to know each of them individually.
“She loved these students, just adored them. She could talk about each one,” her son said. “She loved seeing them arrive on campus and grow intellectually over their four years.”
Charles P. McIlvaine Professor of English Adele Davidson ’75, said Batt helped students negotiate the difficult terrain of collegiate rules and graduation requirements with real warmth.
“As a faculty member I appreciated her attention to detail and her ability to enforce the rules of the College in the registrar's office, but always with a compassionate concern for the individual students, faculty and administrators she worked with,” she said.
Liz Forman ’73, retired senior associate in the Office of Admissions who spent time as acting registrar, said she was a remarkable colleague and mentor.
“She was brilliant — much more accomplished than she would ever admit to — and a wonderful friend, active community member, and a very important and not-always-noted role model for administrators and staff, particularly so for the generation of women who found themselves as the first women to hold their position at the college.”
Current Registrar Ellen Harbourt said Batt was responsible for her being hired at the College and was incredibly patient and generous in sharing her institutional knowledge.
“She was astounding,” she said. “I owe her a tremendous amount.”
An environmentalist at heart, Batt adored spending time outdoors and examining wildflowers in particular. She and her husband enjoyed hiking and visiting Montario Point in upstate New York, where a family cottage brought her solace and joy throughout her life.
Batt could frequently be found walking — never driving — around her beloved Gambier.
“She walked religiously all over campus,” her son said. “It wasn’t a purposeful walk. It was a reflective walk. She would be pointing out every building on campus, every tree, every stump — all of which held cherished memories of the Village and College she loved so much.”
She found great meaning as an active member of the Harcourt Parish Episcopal Church, and she could often be found folding bulletins by hand before services at Church of the Holy Spirit.
Batt loved being around people — she was active in book, knitting and card clubs — and had an intellectual thirst for understanding others, her son said.
“My mother was a person who loved conversation, but she loved it because she listened,” Brian Batt said. “She wanted to learn about your dreams, your fears, your challenges and your background. Her interactions with students and faculty were a constant joy to her.”
In retirement, she and her husband enjoyed visiting Kauai, Hawaii, and traveling extensively to see symphonies and operas.
Batt is survived by her husband of 63 years, Russell Batt; children Karen (Ray) Kerrigan and Brian (Pattie) Batt; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A graveside service is being planned for a summer date at her final resting place within the Kokosing Nature Preserve. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to consider making a donation to either the Philander Chase Conservancy, whose efforts to conserve Kenyon’s open spaces and natural habitats she revered, or Harcourt Parish, where she cherished her faith and developed friendships lasting her lifetime.