Danforth Chapel, University of Kansas

Dedicated on April 2, 1946, this nondenominational campus chapel is open for all who desire a moment of quiet meditation. The chapel was constructed towards the end of World War II using German POW labor from Camp Lawrence. Danforth Chapel has shifted from its Christian origin into an interfaith space, a reflection of larger changes at this and other universities since the postwar period. One of the most iconic campus landmarks, Danforth Chapel has become a sought-after venue for weddings among generations of University of Kansas alumni since its 1946 dedication.

Danforth Chapel’s creation dates back to a September 1944 meeting between Chancellor Deane Malott and William H. Danforth, a founder of Ralston Purina. Danforth was a strong believer in a life centered on education that balanced attributes like physical fitness with faith and positive character traits. Danforth subsidized the construction of two dozed chapels on American college campuses through his Danforth Foundation. As Danforth himself put it, “I have an idea that our campuses are ready right now for a spiritual awakening; so I don’t think we should necessarily wait until after the war is over.” Danforth’s dream of spiritual awakening aligned with Chancellor Malott’s goals, who wished to cultivate "a Christian spirit" on the University of Kansas’s campus. At the time, this phrase that Malott and others used to support the construction of the chapel referred to an attitude of humility and service that reflected Danforth's thoughts on the role of faith in a well-balanced life.

The proposed chapel was designed by KU graduate Edward W. Tanner, who in lieu of payment asked that the building’s design would be dedicated in honor of his mother Harriett A. Tanner. Danforth liked the proposed building and pledged $5,000 from the foundation towards its construction. The remaining $25,000 of local funding was secured by alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the University.

The construction of the chapel would have faced wartime lack of labor had it not been for German prisoners held in nearby Camp Lawrence. Paid between $.80 and $1.40 a day, prisoners laid the foundation of the building. Conveniently for the builders, several of the prisoners had been stonemasons prior to the war.

After the chapel's completion, Danforth quickly became a wedding venue for students and alumni. Two months after the chapel's opening, on June 17, 1946, seven Jayhawk couples were married. However, they were not the first people bound in holy matrimony upon the premises. On March 20, 1946, 13 days before Danforth Chapel’s dedication, a young couple were married in the building.

Danforth Chapel has continued to serve as a venue for marriages, and in 2007 $850,000 was spent adding space to the building and completing other renovations. Reflecting pluralistic changes on campus and the society it serves, the chapel has moved towards an interfaith, nondenominational place of reflection. Young Jayhawks who enter are still encouraged by the inscription at the entrance which wishes that, “those who enter may acquire the spiritual power to aspire nobly, adventure daringly, serve humbly.”

Bierman, Courtney. “60-year-old Danforth Chapel remains relic of German POWs housed in Lawrence.” University Daily Kansan, 14 April 2016, https://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/60-year-old-danforth-chapel-remains-relic-of-german-pows-housed-in-lawrence/article_5056aae0-ff91-11e5-ba2c-f3f37ad73501.html. Accessed 28 June 2023.

Danforth Chapel, Historic Mount Oread, http://www.jayhawks.com/hmof/landmarks/danforth.shtml accessed 06/25/23

“Danforth Chapel.” KU Directory of Places, https://places.ku.edu/buildings/danforth-chapel. Accessed 06/25/23.

McBride, Katie. 2013. “Danforth Chapel an underutilized campus building | News | kansan.com.” The University Daily Kansan, November 14, 2013. https://www.kansan.com/news/danforth-chapel-an-underutilized-campus-building/article_bade9ac0-68e5-5782-a974-eb76f46776a7.html.

McCool, John H. “"Aspire Nobly, Adventure Daringly, Serve Humbly"” KU Memorial Union, https://union.ku.edu/aspire-nobly-adventure-daringly-serve-humbly. Accessed 28 June 2023.