Kenyon-Exeter students visiting Stonehenge in 2021. (Photo courtesy of Rosemary O'Neill)
In the mid-1970s, several members of the Kenyon College Department of English approached the University of Exeter with an original — indeed, revolutionary — idea: Each year, one of them would bring a dozen or so undergraduates to enroll as regular students of Exeter’s School of English for a full academic year.
There was nothing quite like it at the time, and in 1975-76, the Kenyon-Exeter Program was launched under the direction of Professor Gerald Duff. Thus began this ongoing relationship with the School of English that has transcended many changes in the structure of the University of Exeter and seen its rise as a powerhouse in British higher education.
One happy outcome of the program’s first year was Marc Millon ’77, one of the Kenyon students, gaining something even deeper than life-changing study abroad: He met Kim Jordan, then completing a joint honors degree in English and fine arts. Marc and Kim have now been married for more than 40 years and are creative partners as editor, photographer, and author of award-winning books on food and wine. Living on the River Exe in Topsham, five miles to the south, they have continued the relationship, welcoming generations of Kenyon students. (Marc’s latest book is 2024’s “Italy in a Wine Glass.”)
Aside from the terrible year of the pandemic, every year a Kenyon faculty member has continued to accompany an eager group of students to study in Devon, along with excursions to theater in London and Stratford, as well as a longer trip, typically to Ireland or Scotland or the Lake District. And for many of those years, we have built relationships — not only at the university but in the community as well.
One example has been a special bond with the village of Topsham. For many years, the Bridge Inn, a site mentioned in the Domesday Book and managed by the same family for 150 years, has often hosted an annual Thanksgiving feast of turkey, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts for Kenyon students and their guests. Phyllis and Norman Cheffers began the tradition nearly 50 years ago, handing it on in due course to their daughter Caroline, who now is sharing the responsibility with her own daughter, Riannon.
Each year, resident directors from Kenyon have rotated through the program — often more than once — making their mark and, in turn, bringing a bit of Exeter back to Gambier. And for Kenyon students, studying abroad on the Exeter program has been more profoundly influential than just an exceptional range of university courses or the opportunity to attend many of the most extraordinary theater performances in the world; the relationships the program builds across time and place have shaped them for many years to come.
Wendy Singer P’14 is special assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and partnerships and Roy T. Wortman Distinguished Professor of History. David Lynn ’76 P’14 H’23 is professor emeritus of English and editor emeritus of the Kenyon Review. They are former resident co-directors for the Kenyon-Exeter Program.