Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States.

[4] On December 13, 1831, John Pratt, the college's first president and a graduate of Brown University, inaugurated classes at the Granville Literary and Theological Institution.

[5] While rooted in theological education, the institution offered students the same literary and scientific instruction common to other colleges of the day.

[7] In the years leading up to the Civil War, many students and faculty members at Denison University became deeply involved in the anti-slavery movement.

Bancroft House, now a residential hall, served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for refugee slaves.

[14][15] In 1887, Denison inaugurated a master's program, with resident graduates pursuing advanced studies in the sciences.

[16] In 1926, the board of trustees formalized a new curriculum that made Denison University an exclusively undergraduate institution.

The resulting "Olmsted Plan" laid a foundation for expansion that has remained the guiding aesthetic for subsequent growth.

The Denison Golf Club at Granville, an 18-hole course designed by Donald Ross, is just 0.4 miles (0.64 km) from the academic campus and was donated to the university in 2014.

The chapel seats 990 and plays host to notable campus events such as baccalaureate services, lectures, concerts, and academic award convocations.

[36] Recent trends show an expanding interest from international student populations, with application submissions increasing from 2,447 in 2019 to 3,255 in 2021.

In addition to the standard results, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, character, community contributions, enthusiasm, specialties, etc.

[44] Denison's websites states they were ranked 43rd in “Smartest Liberal Arts Colleges in America” by Business Insider.

[49] Denison Community Association (DCA) is student-led and operated umbrella organization for student service committees.

[51] Founded in 1857, The Denisonian is the student-run newspaper and oldest student organization on campus and prints ten issues per semester as well as online at denisonian.com.

[52] The Bullsheet is a student-run publication for news, humor and community dialog that is printed daily and delivered to campus buildings.

It was founded in 1979[53] to combat student apathy, and it remains central to campus culture by providing an open forum for free speech.

[62] Former performers include Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, Wynton Marsalis, Jessye Norman, and Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer among others.

[63] They performed their multimedia concert "Documerica" on campus during the spring of 2016[64] and received honorary degrees from the college at the commencement ceremony in 2017.

[65][66] The Beck Series is associated with the creative writing program at Denison, and it brings a variety of authors to campus to read their work and interact with students.

[77] Following this, the Denison Men's Swimming and Diving team defeated Kenyon to capture the 2011 NCAA National Title by 1 point[78] ending the Lords' 31-year streak of championships.

[79] In both men's and women's swimming and diving, Denison has posted 47 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III championships.

Piper won a school record, 200 games and in 1985 he guided the program to their first 10–0 season with his antique single-wing offense.

[82] Women's basketball at Denison has emerged as a national contender under head coach Sara Lee.

[86] In 2008, the Denison women's tennis team advanced to the NCAA semifinals, eventually winning the consolation match to place third overall, marking the program's best national finish.

[88] The Denison women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time in school history in 2010.

[91] In 2019, Denison was one of the first NCAA universities to participate in the organization's LGBTQ OneTeam Program, which launched in fall 2019.

In 2017, the Knowlton Center was honored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) when President Adam Weinberg was given the Career Services Champion Award.

Notable alumni include actors Steve Carell, Hal Holbrook, and Jennifer Garner; SNL comedian Alex Moffat; entertainer John Davidson; Hall of Fame college football coach Woody Hayes; ESPN president George Bodenheimer; Turner Broadcasting System Senior Vice President James Anderson;[99] drag queen and LGBT activist Nina West, former member of Turkish Parliament and current consultant to The Coca-Cola Company Mehmet Cem Kozluformer;[100] United States Senator Richard Lugar; Indy car racer Bobby Rahal; playwright Jeffrey Hatcher; artist Ned Bittinger; author Pam Houston, James Frey; former Disney Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner; American criminologist and father of "evidence-based policing" Lawrence Sherman; former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro; former Princeton University President William Bowen; folklorist, oral historian, author, and podcast host Douglas A. Boyd; professor of religion at Goucher College and theologian at the Washington National Cathedral[101] Kelly Brown Douglas;[102] Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral.