Kenyon College has announced a $75 million gift in support of a new library and academic quadrangle from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

The largest gift in the school's 193-year history will support the development of the West Quad, which will comprise three new buildings — a library and academic commons designed for LEED Gold certification, which will replace Olin and Chalmers libraries; a new interdisciplinary academic building for the social sciences; and a building to house the offices of admissions and key student services, including career development. Underground parking will improve accessibility and enable the college to reclaim green space.

The gift also will support the renovation of Ascension Hall to ensure accessibility for all students and faculty; the preservation and renovation of Sunset Cottage; an expansion of facilities for the English Department; and continued investment in student housing and other facilities. Once the project is completed in 2021, 90 percent of Kenyon's classrooms will be fully accessible.

"Teaching and learning are evolving, and Kenyon needs facilities that are a match for the kinds of flexible, high- and low-tech approaches that faculty and students expect to use seamlessly," said Kenyon College president Sean Decatur. "Classrooms that allow students and faculty to work in various configurations, to use multiple pieces of technology simultaneously, to collaborate with people around a table or via videoconference — these are the kinds of high-impact practices that serve students in the classroom, and in their careers."