Academic Catalogue, 2017-18

History of the College The mission of Hampden-Sydney College Samuel Stanhope Smith, College of New Jersey has been, since stated by its Founders in 1775, (Princeton) Class of 1769. Within only ten “to form good men and good citizens in an months, Smith secured an adequate subscription atmosphere of sound learning.” In continuous of funds and an enrollment of 110 students. operation since the first classes were held on Intending to model the new college after his November 10, 1775, the College is one of the alma mater, he journeyed to Princeton to secure oldest institutions of higher learning in the the first faculty and visited Philadelphia to enlist United States and holds the oldest (1783) private support and to purchase a library and scientific charter in the South. apparatus. Students and faculty gathered for the The first president, Samuel Stanhope Smith opening of the first winter term on November (1775-1779), chose the name Hampden10, 1775.

Sydney to symbolize devotion to the principles The College matured physically and of representative government and full civil and academically through the first half of the 19th religious freedom which the Englishmen John century. Jonathan P. Cushing (1821-1835) Hampden (1594-1643) and Algernon oversaw the move from the College’s original Sydney (1622-1683) had supported buildings to “New College,” now Cushing and for which they had given their Hall. Union Theological Seminary (now lives in the 17th century. They were Union Presbyterian Seminary) was founded widely invoked as hero-martyrs at Hampden-Sydney in 1822 and occupied

by American colonial patriots, and the south end of the present campus their names immediately associated until its relocation to Richmond the College with the cause of (1898). independence championed by The Medical College of Virginia Patrick Henry, James Madison, and (now the Virginia Commonwealth the other less well-known but equally University School of Medicine) was vigorous patriots who comprised the opened in Richmond in 1838 as the College’s first Board of Trustees. medical department of HampdenThe first students committed themselves Sydney College. to the revolutionary effort, organized The Civil War and its aftermath Algernon Sydney (top) a militia-company, drilled regularly, John Hampden (above) were difficult years for Hampdenand went off to the defense of Sydney. The longest-tenured of its Williamsburg in 1777 and Petersburg in 1778. presidents, J. M. P. Atkinson, served from before Their uniform was hunting-shirts, dyed purple the War through Reconstruction (1857-1883). with the juice of pokeberries, and grey trousers.

He performed the remarkable feat of keeping Garnet and grey were adopted as the College’s the College open and solvent, while upholding colors when sports teams were introduced in the academic standards.

19th century.

Once again, at the outset of war the student The College, first proposed in 1771, was body organized a company. These men, officially formally organized in February 1775, when the mustered as Company G, 20th Virginia Presbytery of Hanover, meeting at Nathaniel Regiment, “The Hampden-Sidney Boys,” saw Venable’s Slate Hill plantation, accepted a gift action in Rich Mountain in West Virginia (July of one hundred acres for the College, elected 9-11, 1861), were captured, and were paroled by Trustees and named as President the Rev. General George B. McClellan on the condition