Ohio's Kenyon College receives $100M from anonymous donor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An anonymous donor has given Ohio's Kenyon College a $100 million donation, the largest in school history, for the construction of three new residence halls, the liberal arts college announced Tuesday.

The central Ohio school of about 1,600 students, which requires all students to live on campus, said the donation allows it to continue a focus on a residential college experience despite the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kenyon is conducting both online and in-person classes this year, and reduced the on-campus population to allow all students to live in single rooms.

“To receive this record-breaking gift during a pandemic that is still gripping our country and disrupting our academic year speaks volumes about the strength of Kenyon’s future,” school President Sean Decatur said in a statement.

Decatur said the donation will also allow Kenyon, founded in 1824, to renew its efforts to grow the college endowment for scholarships and financial aid.

Kenyon received a $75 million anonymous donation in 2017 allowing it to build a new library and academic quad on the campus of the school in Gambier, about 58 miles (93 kilometers) northeast of Columbus.