Remembering Graham Gund

“Graham Gund was a visionary for Kenyon. He saw clearly into the College’s future and crafted a roadmap for us to get there, taking us ably down the path. I will miss him, perched on a stool with his warm smile and laugh. Thank you, Graham, ultimate son of Kenyon. Your influence was profound.”   

“I long admired Graham — not only for his work but also for his spirit and the way he moved through the world. His charm, modesty and quiet brilliance left a lasting impression on everyone who crossed his path. Graham’s presence is everywhere on our gorgeous campus. Graham seamlessly blended his artistic sensibility with his architectural vision. What he has designed will inspire and nurture learning for generations to come.”

“I loved Graham for who he was as a human being, for his love of Kenyon College, for his brilliance, and for his unrelenting kindness. He knew every building, every path, every tree of Kenyon’s spectacular campus. I’m very privileged to have been his friend.”  

“Graham Gund had a greater influence on the Kenyon campus than anyone since Philander Chase. His work at Kenyon restored a high level of architectural ambition to the campus, simultaneously connecting to Kenyon’s past and offering an optimistic vision of the future. He was determined to make Kenyon both bigger and better, and to show that there did not have to be a contradiction between these two things.”  

“Graham Gund was an architect of the highest order, an exemplar of a Kenyon graduate and an extraordinarily fine man. Modest and humble, Graham was soft spoken and thoughtful, always listening far more often than speaking. His generosity of spirit touched all those around him. Graham transformed a once lovely Kenyon campus into the most beautiful college campus in America — indisputably. We will miss Graham, miss his friendship, miss his vision. We will always recall Graham with the deepest gratitude.”

“Perhaps my strongest and most important memories are the moments of quiet, reserved kindness: his personal notes, his outreach to me at difficult moments, the fun exchanges of reflections about our shared home town of Cleveland. My conversations with Graham were lessons on curiosity, creativity, loyalty, generosity and kindness, and those were tremendous gifts to all who knew him.”  

“It is impossible to capture in words the mark Graham made on Kenyon. It is, however, visible everywhere on campus — from the ambition of our campus master plan, to the both brilliant and subtle details of the buildings he lovingly designed and restored, to the masterful works of art he created homes and sites for, to the breathtaking view corridors he spotted and preserved.”

“Graham’s passion for contemporary art — and for the artists who make it — was palpable. With his wife, Ann, they modeled what it means to support creativity with care and conviction. Graham’s work with The Gund’s Board was a rare combination of vision, patience and exacting care. He will be profoundly missed — not only for what he gave, but for the manner in which he gave it: with grace, humility and a steadfast belief in what art can make possible.”