Photo by Ayman Wadud ’25
For years, prospective students walked into a quaint gothic castle called Ransom Hall to learn more about Kenyon College. In May, the Office of Admissions moved into Lowell House, named for poet Robert Lowell ’40 H’58, on the new West Quad. Studying under Kenyon Review founder John Crowe Ransom, for whom the previous Admissions home was named, Lowell graduated summa cum laude with a degree in classics. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1947, serving as the U.S. Poet Laureate in the same year.
Dean of Admissions and Vice President for Enrollment Diane Anci is excited to have a new hub for all admissions events. “The architecture and setting represent such a high standard of thought, design and construction; a standard and a commitment to excellence well realized across campus,” said Anci. “Lowell House is extraordinary and benefits from important views of Chalmers Library and Oden Hall.” The entirety of the West Quad is set to open within a year, when Oden Hall will host classes starting in the second semester.
Designed to embody the coziness and warmth of the Norton Room in Ransom Hall, the Lowell living room has comfy chairs scattered throughout to allow for visiting groups of all sizes and a fireplace with colored backlights, naturally glowing purple for the time being. “The living room has always been very purposeful for the smaller groups when they come,” said former Assistant Director of Facility Operations for Project Planning & Management Seth Millam. “We can give presentations in there, and it’s a comfortable space for people to relax.”
Rather than using the Gund Gallery Community Theater for big visit days, admissions now has the Paul Newman Room on the first floor of Lowell House. With seating for around 100 people, Kenyon students can sit at the front of the room to talk with prospective students. With the bigger space, Anci expects to offer more opportunities to visit Kenyon.
