Timothy “Tim” Baker Shutt H’21, a professor emeritus of humanities who was known for his love of medieval and Renaissance literature and his avid support of Kenyon athletics, died Nov. 9 at the age of 75. He spent more than 30 years at the College, joining the faculty in 1986 and retiring in 2021.
Shutt was famous among students for his class on Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” which regularly filled Philomathesian Hall on the second floor of Ascension Hall to overflowing. And he was well known to athletes and their fans for providing the narration to countless sporting events as the public address announcer.
Born in Newark, Ohio, on June 23, 1950, to Richard Jack Shutt and Gratia Lucy Baker Shutt, he was raised in Bay City, Michigan. He attended The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, where he was an All-American swimmer, and received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1972.
Twelve years later — after taking time to teach and coach at a college-prep school in Texas — Shutt received a doctorate in English, specializing in medieval literature and the history of ideas at the University of Virginia, where he was a du Pont Fellow and, later, a Mellon Post-Doctoral Research Fellow.
Shutt joined Kenyon as an assistant professor of English in 1986 and became a popular teacher for his courses that included Geoffrey Chaucer, “Beowulf,” Icelandic sagas, and, of course, Dante and “The Divine Comedy.” Eventually he joined the Integrated Program in Humane Studies (IPHS), where his scope broadened from antiquity to the 20th century and beyond.
“He was incredibly dynamic,” said Professor of English Sarah Heidt ’97, who was his student. “He was the kind of teacher who could stand in front of students and totally captivate them and make them want to learn even more about whatever it was he was presenting. … There are generations of people who have graduated from this college who know Dante and who know Chaucer because of Tim Shutt.”
A gifted speaker known for his booming voice, he had a brilliant intellect and immense knowledge that he shared freely, according to Adele Davidson ’75, Charles P. McIlvaine Professor of English.
“On a lot of college campuses, medieval literature might not always be a big draw, but Tim helped to make it so here,” she said. “Tim drew students to him through his knowledge and enthusiasm, his love of the classroom, and his genuine affection for those taking his class — and their friends and acquaintances.”
Katherine Elkins, professor of comparative literature and humanities and IPHS director, called Shutt the “intellectual heart” of the program for many years and said that his questions always sharpened the thinking of others.
“He was the consummate colleague, always genuinely interested in whatever research the rest of us were pursuing,” she said. “He had a rare gift: after listening with his characteristic attention and patience, he would pose the question, the one that cut straight to the heart of the matter and opened new avenues of thought.”
For many student-athletes, Shutt was the soundtrack of their seasons as he announced events for teams like football and swimming and diving, including many North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III swimming and diving championships. But he was much more than that, serving as a long-time Kenyon faculty athletics representative, a member of Kenyon’s Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, and, for several seasons, an assistant coach for the swimming and diving teams.
“He was our professor, our volunteer coach, the ever-present voice announcing our meets and — always — our biggest fan,” said Jess Book ’01, Lords and Ladies Alumni Head Coach, Owls Swimming and Diving. “He deeply loved this place and the people that made it special. His joy was always in seeing the best in others.”
Shutt served as chair of the faculty and received numerous awards over the years. These included the Trustee Award for Distinguished Teaching; the Burchell H. Rowe Award for his significant contributions to Kenyon athletics; and the Thomas B. and Mary M. Greenslade Award for his demonstrated affection for and loyalty to Kenyon. Five times he received the Senior Cup, presented to the community member who in the judgment of the senior class has contributed most to Kenyon.
Shutt, who led popular ghost tours of campus and published numerous works for Recorded Books’ Modern Scholar series, was also a lover of animals — cats, especially — and the outdoors. He regularly gave bird walks and star talks at the Brown Family Environmental Center. He also was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, where he served as a lector.
Shutt is survived by his mother, Lucy Baker Shutt; his daughter, Pruitt (Drew) McCoy; stepdaughter, Doub (John) Hanshaw; stepson, Whitt (Colston) Hanshaw; siblings Anne (Patrick) Trahan and Robert Shutt; five grandsons, and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by dear friend Cathy Bostwick. In addition to his wife, Leslie, he was preceded in death by his father, Jack, and a brother, Michael.
The family will host a celebration of life service on Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. in The Lounge at Peirce Hall.