The Chenault Alumni House: Working Beyond the Grave
Carroll C. Chenault Jr.
Where he’s been.
What he's done.
And is he back?
Centre College is an institution of education and pride that leaves its students with a never-ending love affair with their alma mater. Of course, all Colleges and Universities like to claim they have the strongest bond with their alumni, but did yours run naked around the flame statue for the last 100 years? Didn’t think so. Not only are the alumni well versed in the tradition of streaking but constantly support the current students through donations, career advice, and just overall support. The Chenault Alumni House on 111 North Maple Avenue serves as the hub for Centre College to keep in contact with their alumni while carrying the name of the faithful alumni itself, Carroll C. Chenault Jr. class of 1920, but he will be examined later.
The Chenault Alumni House was built in 1904. It began serving significance in 1932 when it was bought by the College and used as the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity house, Alpha-Delta chapter. During their time on North Maple, the fraternity men of Phi Delta Theta could often be found studying in the house, playing on their two time winning basketball team, or getting excessively drunk with illegal visitors (from the girl's school). Although there were never any deaths within this brotherhood's chapter, there have been rumored that this particular group was heavily hazed. The harsh road to the Phi Delta brotherhood could have caused an old pledge to haunt the house however, these men worked to get into a brotherhood that they loved and were happy to sacrifice a few months to join a lifetime of the brotherly connection. The house was sold back into the public in 1963 having no use to the college again until 1979. In 1982 it was named after Carroll C. Chenault Jr. and began being utilized as the alumni house. The school conducted renovations on the house in 1998 redoing the entirety of it except the basement and the attic. Not much has happened here except the occasional ghost experience but that's it.
That’s it…? That’s it.
The Chenault house has been a hub for unexplained activities for a few years now. In an interview with Jacky Seaver, director of donor relations, she talks about her experience with the unknown visitor:
“I heard the back door open, nobody said anything, and I heard footsteps go up the back staircase which you can’t see from the room that I was in. So I yelled out..ya know “hey, I’m Here”... No response, I thought well that’s not unusual, maybe they didn’t hear me. Gave it a little while then heard footsteps up and down the hallway upstairs-- like walking over me. Well I thought “that's odd what are they looking for, everybody has their own office?”
Jacky goes on to describe how she decided to go upstairs to examine the commotion, looking in every corner of the upper floor. She came up short-handed when she realized there was no one there and headed back downstairs to continue her work. However, she recalls: ‘I heard footsteps come down the steps again and the back door closed’. She then ran to the back door which had a glass window to see who or what it was, but there was no one. After this, she quickly packed up her stuff and left just in case any more invisible co-workers decided to put in the extra hours.
Jacky then continued to outline her experience and how it made her feel. The presence of the spirit did not present a feeling of danger, instead just startled her because she wasn’t alone. Jacky also shared that she was not the only coworker to have this experience. Mackenzie Nichols spoke on her encounter with a spiritual being within the Alumni house, reporting an extremely similar experience to Jacky’s. Mackenzie said that while she was working late for phone-a-thon one year she was alone in the office when all of the sudden she heard footsteps upstairs running or pacing up and down the hall above her. Although she was not as brave as Jacky and didn’t go upstairs to examine the noises, she said that there was no one in the office and confirmed that if someone were there they would have announced themselves in efforts not to scare their co-workers. With this recurring experience throughout the house, the returning guest must have some association to the location, maybe an old resident or a returning brother of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. However, if your name was on a building wouldn’t you want to visit often as well?
Carroll C. Chenault Jr., a graduate of 1920, is the man with his name on the door. Although he never resided here, he did so much for the Centre that he was awarded a building. Crazy to think that a hundred years later graduates received nothing but their diplomas in the mail but hey that’s a story for a different time. Chenault was an active member of the Centre community, both pre and postgraduate. During his time at Centre he served as a member of the tennis team, well decorated for his performance in doubles. His work continued off the court with an admirable performance in the classroom and an active writer for the ‘Old Centre’ specifically in the athletics section. He had great leadership roles through ROTC as well as DKE, another fraternity residing on Centre’s campus. ’Chinny’ was the perfect Centre man, polite, well educated, and good with the ladies.
After graduation, we see Chenault only become more and more involved as he gets older. In his professional life, he was president of Traders National Bank in Mount Sterling, KY. He also held partnerships in many local furniture and hardware businesses. In his free time, he farmed. With a deep passion for the world of agriculture, he aimed to pass on his passion through grants of one million dollars throughout the region of both Montgomery (specifically mount sterling) and Bath county schools.
In addition to all this Chinny was a grounded Centre man through and through. His passion for the school earned him the spot of national president of the Centre of Alumni Association. A role that helped connect alumni and current students. If this duty was not enough he continues to serve students beyond the grave as Carroll C. Chenault Jr. Memorial Scholarships are distributed to students from Montgomery and Bath counties yearly.
So why does he keep coming back to this house? Even though Chenault never resided in this specific location, or ever visited it to our knowledge, it is his place of business and passion. It is common for alumni to visit the Centre and is encouraged at least once a year during homecoming when the past and present students of Centre College collide. However, Chenault is here for more than just socialization or to check in on campus, he is back to tend to his business of supporting alumni matters. He committed a large part of his life to ensure the best possible relationship between the school and its past students to continue to promote the best college experience for current students. Chinny is just simply turning into work like Jacky Seaver and Mackenzie Nichols. See, Chinny creates and encourages relationships between alumni and current students regardless of the distance. He is here to ensure that these relationships remain strong and fruitful.
The role of Centre’s Alumni is one that quite literally keeps the school running, and Chinny understood that bridge. Ranked with almost 177 Colleges throughout the nation, Centre College was named the happiest group of graduates attributing a lot of their happiness to their alma mater. This corresponds with the dedication seen in many alumni to the improvement of the school and the different medians. The alumni are a part of helping Centre Students obtain jobs, internships, and career advice through the alumni fire website. They plan events such as the Associate Dinner that brings past alumni together and donate to the alumni foundation. Finally, these alumni contribute a sizable amount of money to the College every year. These donations are then put towards scholarships, campus improvement, and anything else that is deemed necessary.
After assessing the alumni contribution to the school, it is extremely evident that without them the college would not be the same. For the Centre to remain the esteemed college that it is, it needs the village to keep the culture and the education on point. These alumni serve an irreplaceable purpose to the College. Chenault knew this and saw the importance of these individuals post-grad. Centre is such an extraordinary place that often one is not fulfilled by just four years of education, they feel as if they need more and can do this by fostering the next generation. The Alumni Relations staff plays an essential role in maintaining the relationship between students and alumni, without which the school would be at a loss. Chenault just continues to play his role as an alumnus beyond the grave. Checking in on the house, staff, and the efforts being made to preserve the perfect balance of the past and present students. I mean, with a role so quintessential, do you blame him?
-Savanna Roper
Bibliography
“Chenault Alumni House.” Centre College, November 14, 2017. xxxhttps://www.centre.edu/chenault-alumni-house/.
Hardy, Mary Katherine. History 470 Interview. Other, n.d. Accessed January 24, 2020.
“New Alumni-Driven College Ranking Rates Centre Graduates ‘Happiest in the Nation.’” Centre xxxCollege, December 16, 2019. xxxhttps://www.centre.edu/new-alumni-driven-college-ranking-rates-centre-graduates-happiest-ixxxn-the-nation/.
“Old Centre 1920,” Centre College Digital Archives, accessed February 1, 2021, xxxhttps://centre.omeka.net/items/show/1145.
“PLANNED GIVING.” Centre College. Accessed February 2, 2021. xxxhttps://plannedgiving.centre.edu/meet-our-donors.
Roper, Savanna Prince. History 470 Interview. Other, n.d. Accessed January 19, 2020.
“THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME: Chenault Alumni House,” July 12, 2018. xxxhttps://www.centre.edu/the-story-behind-the-name-chenault-alumni-house/.
Threlkeld, Gayle Watkins. The First Hundred Years of Kentucky Alpha-Delta of Phi Delta Theta. xxxDanville , KY, 1950.