Hampden–Sydney College

Former names	Hampden–Sidney College
Motto	Huc venite iuvenes ut exeatis viri Γνώσεσθε τὴν αλήθειαν
Motto in English	Latin:Come here as youths so you may leave as men Greek:Ye Shall Know the Truth(John 8:32)
Type	Privateliberal artsmen's college
Established	November 10, 1775 (250 years ago) (1775-11-10)
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)[1]
Academic affiliations	APCU Annapolis Group
Endowment	$245.4 million (2024)[2]
President	Larry Stimpert
Undergraduates	946 (fall 2024)[3]
Location	Hampden Sydney, Virginia , U.S. 37°14′31″N78°27′37″W / 37.2420°N 78.4603°W /37.2420; -78.4603
Campus	Rural, 1,300 acres (530 ha)
Colors	Garnet and gray[4]
Nickname	Tigers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III –ODAC
Website	hsc.edu

Hampden–Sydney College (H–SC) is aprivateliberal artscollege for men inHampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, it is the oldest privately chartered college in theSouthern United States, the tenth-oldest college in the US, the last college founded before theAmerican Declaration of Independence, and the oldest of the four-year, all-male liberal arts colleges remaining in the United States. Hampden–Sydney College is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places and theVirginia Landmarks Register, and is affiliated with thePresbyterian Church (USA).

Hampden-Sydney academics are focused primarily on traditional liberal arts programs, and the College offers only bachelors degrees. A participant in theU.S. Navy'sV-12 Navy College Training Program duringWorld War II, Hampden-Sydney established the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest in 1996 in order to offer specialized training for students seeking military or public service careers, and offers a U.S. ArmyROTC program through its partnership with theUniversity of Richmond.

Hampden-Sydney alumni have included eight state governors (four of those in Virginia), educators and businessmen, and numerous judges, businessmen, lawyers, and legislators throughout the United States.Stephen Colbert has distinguished himself as a comedian and television host, andPaul Reiber serves as the current Chief Justice of theVermont Supreme Court, while Lieutenant GeneralSamuel V. Wilson, also known as "General Sam," ranks as the College's most distinguished alumnus in military service, and served as the 22nd President of Hampden-Sydney from 1992 to 2000.

The college's founder and first president,Samuel Stanhope Smith, was born inPequea, Pennsylvania. He graduated as a valedictorian from theCollege of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1769, and he went on to study theology and philosophy underJohn Witherspoon, whose daughter he married on June 28, 1775. In his mid-twenties, working as a missionary inVirginia, Smith persuaded the Hanover Presbytery to found a school east of the Blue Ridge, which he referred to in his advertisement of September 1, 1775, as "an Academy in Prince Edward...distinguished by the Name of HAMPDEN–SIDNEY".^[5] The school, not then named, was always intended to be a college-level institution; later, in the same advertisement, Smith explicitly modeled its curriculum on that of the College of New Jersey. "Academy" was a technical term used for college-level schools not run by theestablished church.^[6]

As the college history indicates on its website, "The first president, at the suggestion of Dr. John Witherspoon, the Scottish president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), chose the name Hampden–Sydney to symbolize devotion to the principles of representative government and full civil and religious freedom whichJohn Hampden (1594–1643) andAlgernon Sydney (1622–1683) had outspokenly supported, and for which they had given their lives, in England's two great constitutional crises of the previous century. They were widely invoked as hero-martyrs by American colonial patriots, and their names immediately associated the College with the cause of independence championed by James Madison, Patrick Henry, and other less well-known but equally vigorous patriots who composed the College's first Board of Trustees."

Classes at Hampden–Sydney began in temporary wooden structures on November 10, 1775, on the eve of American Independence, moving into its three-story brick building early in 1776. The college has been in continuous operation since that date, operating under the British, Confederate, and United States flags. Classes have only been canceled seven times: for aCivil War skirmish on campus, for a hurricane that knocked a tree into a dormitory building, twice due to snowstorms, once for an outbreak of norovirus, briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and once for an ice storm in 2021 that left the campus without power. Since the college was founded before the proclamation of theDeclaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, it was eligible for an official coat of arms and armorial bearings from theCollege of Arms of theRoyal Household of the United Kingdom. Through gifts from the F. M. Kirby Foundation, Professor John Brinkley ('59), in whose honor the "achievement of arms" was given, liaised with Mr.John Brooke-Little, then theRichmond Herald, in designing the arms for the college. The Latin text of the "letters patent" conferring the arms is dated July 4, 1976; Mr. Brooke-Little—who, with theQueen's special permission, appeared in full herald's uniform—made the presentation onYorktown Day, October 19, 1976, at the college.^[7]

Despite the problematic and financially strapped first years resulting from the Revolutionary War, the college survived with sufficient viability to be granted a charter by the Virginia General Assembly in 1783—the oldest private charter in the Southern United States.Patrick Henry, thenGovernor of Virginia, encouraged the passage of the charter and wrote into it an oath of allegiance to the newrepublic required of all professors.

Alumni of Princeton University founded the college. Patrick Henry, who did not attend college, andJames Madison, a Princeton alumnus, were elected trustees in the founding period before classes began. Smith hired his brother,John Blair Smith, and two other recent Princeton graduates to teach. Samuel Stanhope Smith would later become president of Princeton University. John Blair Smith would become the second president of Hampden–Sydney and later the first president ofUnion College.

Hampden–Sydney became a thriving college while located in southside Virginia, which led to expansion. In 1812, the Union Theological Seminary was founded at Hampden–Sydney College. The seminary was later moved toRichmond, Virginia and is currently theUnion Presbyterian Seminary. In 1838, the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College was founded—theMedical College of Virginia, which is now the MCV Campus ofVirginia Commonwealth University. Among the early nineteenth-century leaders were John Holt Rice, who founded the seminary,Jonathan P. Cushing, and ReverendJames Marsh. In those years, the intellectual culture at HSC spanned from leading southern, anti-slavery writers likeJesse Burton Harrison, John Holt Rice, andLucian Minor to leading proslavery writers, such asGeorge A. Baxter andLandon Garland.^[8] During this time, the college constructed new buildings usingFederal-style architecture with Georgian accents. This is the style of architecture still used on the campus.

At the onset of theAmerican Civil War, Hampden–Sydney studentsformed a company in the Virginia Militia. The Hampden–Sydney students did not see much action but rather were "captured, and...paroled by GeneralGeorge B. McClellan on the condition that they return to their studies".^[9]

"Fame has come suddenly to Hampden-Sydney College," began a 1931New York Times article titled, "Hampden-Sydney's High Scholastic Rank Achieved With Old-Fashioned Teaching." The article highlighted a study showing that of all U.S. colleges and universities, Hampden-Sydney had the highest percentage of living graduates listed inWho's Who.^[10]

DuringWorld War II, Hampden–Sydney College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in theV-12 Navy College Training Program, which offered students a path to a commission.^[11] Under theVictory ship program, theSSHampden-Sydney Victory was built atBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard inBaltimore,Maryland; her keel was laid down on 30 May 1945, and she was launched on 14 July 1945, and delivered for service on 22 August 1945. Brought into service too late to aid in the war effort she was built for,Hampden-Sydney Victory nonetheless served with the U.S. Merchant Marine until she was sold to the Republic of Turkey on 24 November 1947[1].^{[full citation needed]}

The college has hosted a wide array of noteworthy musicians.Bruce Springsteen, the Temptations, Ben E. King, The Platters, The Lettermen, Dionne Warwick, theAllman Brothers,Dave Matthews Band,Widespread Panic,Bruce Hornsby,Pretty Lights, andGovernment Mule were among the popular visitors to Hampden–Sydney throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. But for tragic reasons, the most significant concert occurred on October 14, 1967, featuring the superstar duet ofMarvin Gaye andTammi Terrell. During their performance, 22-year-old Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms. Terrell would later be diagnosed with abrain tumor and had eight unsuccessful surgeries before she died on March 16, 1970, at the age of 24.

On May 11, 1964, Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedy visited Hampden–Sydney College to speak with students,^[12] and U.S. Vice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush gave the commencement address on May 4, 1985[2].

As of 2020, Hampden-Sydney had expanded its academic offerings to include more than 50 majors and minors,^[13] with recent additions including majors in engineering physics and biochemistry and molecular biology.^[14]

In 2017 the college added a new student center^[15] and renovated an existing facility to create a state-of-the-art center for the arts.^[16] A center for entrepreneurship and innovation was also launched in 2017.^[17] In recent years the campus has also added a high ropes course featuring a vertical climbing wall, suspended ropes obstacles, and zip line.^[18]

In 2018, the college's Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest launched a four-year leadership development program, with 47 first-year students in the inaugural cohort.^[19] The center and program are named for the late Lieutenant GeneralSamuel V. Wilson, a former Hampden-Sydney president who "combined the savvy of aspymaster with the grit of a hardened combat veteran," according to a 2017New York Times obituary.^[20]

2019 saw the launch of a new experiential learning program called Compass, which requires students to complete at least three experiential learning courses from options including internships, study abroad, research, service learning, and hands-on classroom experiences.^[21] A $6 million gift from Cindy andRob Citrone (class of 1987) was dedicated to supporting the Compass program.^[22] That same year, the college also received the donation of $30 Million from the Pauley Family Foundation. These funds were used to construct the Pauley Science Center which replaced the section of the grounds previously host to Bagby Hall. The sightline from Venable hall to Cushing hall was restored, an intentional design element dating to the 1820s which was previously blocked by Bagby Hall.^[23]

In August 2020, the college completed a new 147-bed residential complex called the Grove. Footpaths and a central courtyard link the lodge-like, apartment-style residence halls. A neighboring community lodge overlooks Lake Chalgrove and features indoor and outdoor fireplaces and grilling space.^[24]

Construction began in 2020 on the new, 73,000-square-foot Pauley Science Center.^[25] The Pauley Science Center debuted in the fall semester of 2022, with its dedication on November 11, 2024^[23]

Under the influence of his mentor and father-in-law Witherspoon,^[26] Smith named the college for two English champions of liberty,John Hampden (1594–1643) andAlgernon Sydney (1622–1683). Hampden lost his life in theBattle of Chalgrove Field during theEnglish Civil War. Sydney, who wroteDiscourses Concerning Government, wasbeheaded by order ofCharles II following his (unproven) implication in a failed attempt to overthrow the king.

The following is a list of the Presidents of Hampden–Sydney College from its opening in 1775 until the present.^[27]

Hampden–Sydney enrolls approximately 1,000 students from 30 states and several foreign countries and emphasizes a rigorous, traditional liberal arts curriculum.^[28]

• U.S. News & World Report ranked Hampden–Sydney #98 in its 2022 rankings of the topNational Liberal Arts Colleges.^[33]
• Forbes awarded Hampden–Sydney with an "A" grade in its2016 Forbes College Financial Grades; an evaluation methodology designed to "measure the fiscal soundness of nearly 900 four-year, private, not-for-profit colleges with at least 500 students".^[34]
• The Princeton Review ranked Hampden–Sydney #2 in its 2020 rankings ofBest Alumni Network.^[35] The Princeton Review also ranked Hampden-Sydney's Bortz Library #2 in its 2025 rankings ofBest College Library.^[36] In addition, the Princeton Review ranked Hampden-Sydney #14 in its 2020 rankings ofBest Schools for Internships.^[37]

In addition toWabash College andMorehouse College, Hampden–Sydney is one of only three remaining traditional all-male colleges in the United States and was noted in a 1999Newsweek article as exemplary.^[38] Many identify with the school's mission of forming good men, rigorous students, and American citizens. The honor code reflects these values.

All Hampden–Sydney students must take two semesters ofWestern culture as part of a three-course Core Cultures sequence. In addition to the Western Culture courses, which introduce them to some of the great works and historical events from Greece and Rome through present times, students take at least one Global Cultures course, which compares hierarchical structures, cultural frameworks, and regional and global networks from the beginning of human history to the present. Western Culture has been described as "the bedrock of Hampden–Sydney's liberal arts program and one of the most important of its core academic requirements."^[39] The Core Cultures program draws on professors from all disciplines.^[40]

The Rhetoric Program is based on a 1978 faculty resolution that states: "All Hampden-Sydney graduates will write and speak competently." Every student must prepare for and pass theRhetoric Proficiency Exam, which consists of a three-hour essay that is graded for grammatical correctness and the coherence, quality, and style of the argument.^[41]

While the program was formalized in 1978, the emphasis on rhetoric dates back to the college's founding. In a September 1775 advertisement in theVirginia Gazette, founding president Samuel S. Smith wrote,^[42] "The system of Education will resemble that which is adopted in the College of New Jersey; save, that a more particular Attention shall be paid to the Cultivation of the English Language than is usually done in Places of public Education."

Hampden-Sydney College Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Virginia Landmarks Register
The grounds of Hampden–Sydney
Show map of Virginia Show map of the United States
Location	Bounded approximately by the Hampden–Sydney College campus,Hampden Sydney, Virginia
Area	1,300 acres (530 ha)
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Federal
NRHP reference No.	70000822[43]
VLR No.	073-0058
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 26, 1970
Designated VLR	December 2, 1969[44]

The college expanded from its original small cluster of buildings on 100 acres (40 ha) to a campus of over 1,300 acres (530 ha). Before 2006, the college owned 660 acres (270 ha). In February 2006, the college purchased 400 acres (160 ha) which includes a lake andSlate Hill Plantation, the historic location of the college's founding. The campus is host to numerous federal-style buildings. Part of the campus has been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places as ahistoric district.^[45]

Given that it is older than the United States and one of just a handful of colleges for men, Hampden–Sydney College has a distinctive culture that values tradition. When they arrive on campus, freshmen are issued a copy ofTo Manner Born, To Manners Bred: A Hip-pocket Guide to Etiquette for the Hampden–Sydney Man,^[46] which covers basic manners, how to greet and introduce people, how to navigate job interviews, how to respond to invitations, how to dress for various occasions (such as the difference between a black-tie and white-tie event), how to pair wine with food, etc. The college publishes the book as a useful tool for existing successfully in a variety of social settings.^[47]To Manner Born has been highlighted in theNew York Times^[48] and on the CBSLate Show withStephen Colbert,^[49] who attended Hampden-Sydney in the 1980s.

Tailgating before football games is central to Hampden–Sydney's social culture each fall, and the college's tailgate scene has been featured inTown & Country^[50] andSouthern Living, which ranked Hampden-Sydney as one of the top-20 best tailgates in the Southern United States, alongside large schools like Ole Miss and Alabama.^[51]

Many students are passionate outdoorsmen, andField & Stream has called Hampden-Sydney a "hidden gem for outdoorsmen" in a list of "21 of the Best Colleges for Hunters and Anglers," where the college ranked #7.^[52]

There are more than 50 clubs on campus, each run by students. There are political clubs, sports clubs, religious clubs, astudent-run radio station, a pep band, and multiple social fraternities. There are also volunteer groups such asHabitat for Humanity andRotaract.

The 100-year-old student newspaper,The Hampden-Sydney Tiger, has produced many prominent journalists, includingJonathan Martin of theNew York Times,Chris Stirewalt of Fox News,Charles Hurt of theWashington Times, Matthew Karnitschnig, the chief Europe correspondent forPolitico and aPulitzer Prize finalist,^[53] and Matthew Phillips of CNN, who was previously an editor forBloomberg Businessweek andFreakonomics.^[54]

The college campus is home to the Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire Department, which provides fire suppression service and non-transportbasic life supportEMS toPrince Edward County and the college, as well as assisting theFarmville fire department at fires within the town limits. HSVFD, Company 2, is located on the southern end of campus near the water tower and the physical plant. Since the department's incorporation in 1982 it has not been legally affiliated with the college, despite the fact a majority of active members are college faculty, staff, or students.^[55]

Union-Philanthropic Literary Society (UPLS) is the oldest student organization at Hampden–Sydney College. Established on September 22, 1789, UPLS is the nation's oldest literary and debating society, still in existence today without interruption.

Internal sources claim that roughly 47% of the student body is involved inGreek life.^[56]Beta Theta Pi used Atkinson Hall (built 1834) as a fraternity house when it came to campus in 1850, possibly making it one of the first fraternity houses in North America.^[57][58]

Hampden–Sydney athletic teams are the Tigers. The college is a member of theDivision III level of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in theOld Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) since the 1976–77 academic year.

Hampden–Sydney competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and distance track. The Tigers have rugby as a club sport.

Hampden–Sydney's rivalry withRandolph–Macon College is one of the longest-running college rivalries in the United States."The Game" is often referred to as the oldest small-school football rivalry in the Southern United States,^[59] with the first match up having been played in 1893. Athletic events involving the two schools are fiercely competitive, and the week prior to "The Game" between Hampden–Sydney and Randolph–Macon is known as "Beat Macon Week".^[60]

Several Hampden–Sydney athletes have gone on to successful coaching careers, includingRussell Turner, the head coach of theUC Irvine men's basketball team, andRyan Odom, who in the 2018NCAA men's basketball tournament led the No. 16 seedUMBC Retrievers to a historic upset over the No. 1 seedVirginia Cavaliers; Odom became the UVA coach in March 2025.Ryan Silverfield, an alumnus and former student-assistant with theHampden–Sydney football program, was named head football coach at theUniversity of Memphis just before the2019 Cotton Bowl Classic after previously serving as an assistant with theDetroit Lions andMinnesota Vikings.

• William G. Boykin- Retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, former guest lecturer at the College
• Samuel V. Wilson- Commonly known as "General Sam"; retired U.S. Army lieutenant general,Distinguished Service Cross recipient, political science professor 1977-1992, 22nd President of Hampden-Sydney 1992-2000, honorary member of the Class of 2000

• Brinkley, John Luster.On This Hill: A narrative history of Hampden Sydney College, 1774–1994. Hampden–Sydney: 1994.ISBN 1-886356-06-8

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