Hampden-Sydney, VA, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hampden-Sydney College celebrated its 250th anniversary on Monday, November 10, with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin serving as keynote speaker at an event a quarter of a millennium in the making. The historic commemoration was led by Hampden-Sydney President Larry Stimpert, who delivered the opening address.
Held in Hampden-Sydney’s Kirby Field House, the occasion marked the anniversary of the college’s founding in 1775, shortly after the start of the Revolutionary War.
The commemoration drew an audience of state and national dignitaries, current students, faculty and staff members, and alumni who gathered to honor the college’s history and continuing legacy. The attendance of the governor, along with other state and national officials, underscores Hampden-Sydney’s standing in the Commonwealth of Virginia and its lasting influence on higher education in the United States.
Stimpert, who has served as president of the college since 2016, spoke to the gravity of this benchmark in the college’s and the nation’s story. In his opening remarks, he stated that, “Two hundred-fifty years is a remarkable milestone for any institution, but what is even more remarkable is that, from the day it opened its doors to its first students, Hampden-Sydney has been pursuing the same succinct and profoundly important mission to form good men and good citizens.”
Commenting that Hampden-Sydney men represent the bulk of his cabinet officials, Governor Youngkin emphasized how good men and good citizens are as much needed today as they were at the college’s founding. Reflecting on the shared day of founding of Hampden-Sydney College and the United States Marine Corps, Youngkin noted that for 250 years, both institutions have been “molding men” and “bringing the best out of each other.”
During the anniversary celebration, Hampden-Sydney College was distinguished by the United States House of Representatives with resolution H.Res.859, which honors the college for its long tradition of educating men who have gone on to serve the country civically and militarily. The resolution reads, in part: “Hampden-Sydney College was brought into being by the love of liberty and was founded on the eve of the American Revolution with the mission ‘to form good men and good citizens’ who would be equipped to lead a new Republic.” U.S. Representative of the Virginia 5th Congressional District John McGuire presented President Stimpert with the resolution.
Also in attendance were Virginia Delegate Thomas C. Write Jr. and Virginia Senator Tammy Brankley Mulchi, who are co-sponsoring a House Joint Resolution commending Hampden-Sydney College on the 250th anniversary of its founding. A copy of the commendation was presented to President Stimpert.
In addition to the governor and college president, speakers included Peebles Harrison, H-SC class of 1989 and chairman of the college’s board of trustees; H-SC Spalding Professor of Chemistry and Faculty Marshal Herb Sipe who has taught at the college for over 57 years; H-SC Dean of Culture and Community Desiree Nicholson; Student Body President Owen Williams; and former state delegate and current president of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV) Christopher Peace, H-SC class of 1998.
Governor Youngkin was accompanied by members of his cabinet, many of whom are Hampden-Sydney alumni, including:
- W. Sheppard Miller III, Secretary of Transportation and 1979 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- Jacob Y. Mitchell, Assistant Secretary of Transportation and 2019 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- Garrison R. Coward, Chief Transformation Officer and 2012 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- J. William “Billy” Reid Jr., Advisor to the Secretary of Labor and 1991 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- R. Christopher Lindsay, Chief Operating Officer, Virginia Department of Health and 2006 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- Adam C. Hade, Associate Counsel, Office of Counselor to the Governor and 2020 Hampden-Sydney graduate
- Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Secretary of Education
- Zach Jacobs, Deputy Secretary of Education
- Leighton Klavara, Policy Assistant, Secretary of Education
A nationally ranked private college for men, Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia is known for its mission of forming “good men and good citizens,” as well as its codes of honor and conduct, 40-year-old rhetoric program, liberal arts curriculum, and devoted alumni network. For more information, visit www.hsc.edu.
- Governor Glenn Youngkin at Hampden-Sydney College
- Delegates present commendation to Hampden-Sydney president.