Hampden-Sydney College

An all-male liberal arts college in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, Hampden-Sydney College draws on a rich history that stretches back more than 235 years. Samuel Stanhope Smith, a Presbyterian minister and native of Pequea, Pennsylvania, founded the institution in 1775. Smith modeled the curriculum after The College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University, and named his new college after two famous freedom fighters from English history: John Hampden and Algernon Sydney. Hampden-Sydney College is the oldest private-charter college in the South and one of the oldest colleges in the entire country.

The College has operated continuously since its founding just months before the start of the American Revolution. As such, the College has operated under the flags of Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America. During the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, students formed into military companies, know as the "Hampden-Sydney Boys." During World War II, Hampden-Sydney joined more than 130 colleges and universities in the V-12 Navy College Training Program.

Today, Hampden-Sydney College offers all the features of a modern college while adhering to its liberal arts tradition. Students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of clubs and activities, including social fraternities, intercollegiate and intramural sports teams, student-run newspaper and radio station, and volunteer groups such as the H-S Fire Department, Rotaract, and Habitat for Humanity. Information about the academics, athletics, and extracurriculars at Hampden-Sydney College is available at www.hsc.edu.