Denison University

Denison University, located in Granville, Ohio, is a private, liberal arts institution. Before becoming Denison University in the mid-1850s, the institution went by the names Granville College and Granville Literary and Theological Institution. There are 56 different majors available to the college's 2300 students this upcoming year.

The institution has 24 varsity sports teams in NCAA Division III and competes in the North Coast Athletic Conference. The college's swim and dive team has long had a heated rivalry with Kenyon. The Five Colleges of Ohio and the Great Lakes Colleges Association both count Denison as a member.

Granville Literary and Theological Institution officially opened its doors on December 13, 1831, with Brown University alum and founding president John Pratt at the helm. This institution, located on a 200-acre (81 ha) property south of the community of Granville, was the second. Although it had its origins in theological education, the college provided the same literary and scientific courses as other universities of the time. Thirty-seven students enrolled in the first semester, with 27 of them being locals; of these, over half were younger than fifteen. It was more like an academy than a university. In 1840, the school celebrated its inaugural Commencement with the graduation of three scholars of classical studies.

The school officially became known as Granville College in 1845, when it admitted its first male students. Muskingum County farmer William S. Denison donated $10,000 to the school's endowment in 1853. In keeping with their word, the board of trustees officially changed the school's name to Denison University. They also decided to relocate the institution to property that was for sale in the nearby town of Granville.