Academic Catalogue, 2022-23

HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE The mission of Hampden-Sydney College has Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith, College of been, since stated by its Founders in 1775, New Jersey (Princeton) Class of 1769. Within “to form good men and good citizens.” In only ten months, Smith secured an adequate continuous operation since the first classes subscription of funds and an enrollment of were held on November 10, 1775, the College 110 students. Intending to model the new is one of the oldest institutions of higher college after his alma mater, he journeyed to learning in the United States and holds the Princeton to secure the first faculty and visited oldest (1783) private charter in the South.

Philadelphia to enlist support and to purchase The first president, Samuel Stanhope Smith a library and scientific apparatus. Students and (1775–1779), chose the name Hampdenfaculty gathered for the opening of the first Sydney to symbolize devotion to the principles winter term on November 10, 1775. of representative government and full civil and The College matured physically and religious freedom, which the Englishmen John academically through the first half of the Hampden (1594–1643) and Algernon Sydney nineteenth century. Jonathan P. Cushing (1622–1683) had supported and for (1821–1835) oversaw the move from the which they had given their lives. They College’s original buildings to “New were widely invoked as hero-martyrs College,” now Cushing Hall. Union

by American colonial patriots, Theological Seminary (now Union and their names immediately Presbyterian Seminary) was founded associated the College with the cause at Hampden-Sydney in 1822 and of independence championed by occupied the current Venable Hall Patrick Henry, James Madison, and the south end of the present and the other less well-known campus until its relocation to but equally vigorous patriots who Richmond in 1898. The Medical comprised the College’s first Board of College of Virginia (now the Trustees.

Virginia Commonwealth The first students committed University School of Medicine) themselves to the revolutionary effort, was opened in Richmond in organized a militia-company, 1838 as the medical department of Algernon Sydney (top) drilled regularly, and went off to the John Hampden (above) Hampden-Sydney College. defense of Williamsburg in 1777 The Civil War and its aftermath and Petersburg in 1778. Their uniform was a were difficult years for Hampden-Sydney. hunting-shirt, dyed purple with the juice of The longest-tenured of its presidents, J. M. P. pokeberries, and gray trousers. Garnet and Atkinson, served from before the war through gray were adopted as the College’s colors when Reconstruction (1857–1883). He performed sports teams were introduced in the 19th the remarkable feat of keeping the College century. open and solvent, while upholding academic The College, first proposed in 1771, standards. was formally organized in February 1775, Once again, at the outset of war the when the Presbytery of Hanover, meeting student body organized a company. These at Nathaniel Venable’s Slate Hill plantation, men, officially mustered as Company G, 20th accepted a gift of 100 acres for the College, Virginia Regiment, “The Hampden-Sidney elected Trustees and named as President the Boys,” saw action in Rich Mountain in West