Soldier. Spy. General. Director. President. Farmer. At one point or another, all those titles referred to Lieutenant General Samuel V. Wilson (USA, Ret.) one of the most revered leaders at Hampden-Sydney College—and its president from 1992 to 2000.

Upon his high school graduation in 1940, young Sam Wilson heard the call of service and enlisted in the Virginia National Guard. Over the course of his career, he rose through the ranks, to serve as a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army. General Wilson's lengthy career in the Special Forces and military intelligence took him from the WWII-era jungles of Burma, where he fought with the legendary Merrill's Marauders, to the streets of Berlin and Moscow during the Cold War, where he was a leader in U.S. intelligence operations, ultimately serving as deputy director of the CIA and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

General Wilson's counsel was often sought by leaders including U.S. Presidents Nixon, Carter, Ford, and George H. W. Bush. His leadership and expertise was essential in establishing the Army's elite Delta Force.

General Wilson received an honorary degree from H-SC in 1979, and began teaching courses at the College on national security in 1981. In 1992, he became the 22nd president of the College. General Wilson passed away in June of 2017.

Read more below or watch The Historians: Episode 3 - General Sam Wilson

The Wilson Leadership Fellows Program is Hampden-Sydney College’s experiential leadership development program. The program is rooted in active citizenship and servant leadership. Wilson Leadership Fellows learn to lead by leading teams in complex situations. Our faculty and staff create these complex situations in a variety of ways, including decision games, case studies, simulations, strategy games, our on-campus Leadership Reaction Course, staff rides, and wilderness adventures. In addition to practicing leadership, Wilson Leadership Fellows engage with accomplished leaders and important ideas through our speaker series and during annual trips to Richmond, Virginia and Washington, DC.  

The Leadership in the Public Interest minor is an interdisciplinary minor designed to provide opportunities to study leaders and leadership concepts that are applicable to leadership, citizenship, and ethical decision making in a variety of contexts.

The National Security Studies minor is designed for students who are interested in the historical, political, cultural, ethical, and legal dimensions of national security policy as well as the place and role of the military in American society.

Army ROTC is a national leadership development program that educates and prepares highly talented college students to become Army Officers while pursuing the major of their choice with a focus on academics, campus leadership opportunities, and athletics. Hampden-Sydney men may enroll in the Army ROTC program through the University of Richmond.

Hampden-Sydney College and the Wilson Center have partnerships with several graduate school programs:

University of Virginia, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy 
Through an agreement with the with the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, students participating in the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program, or enrolled in the Leadership in the Public Interest minor, and [Military Leadership and] National Securities Studies minor are offered a priority track for admission into the Masters of Public Policy (MPP) program. Representatives of the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy have committed to visiting campus annually and providing the Wilson Center with a list of recommended coursework for future applicants to best prepare them for the program. All students who apply, regardless of admissions decision, will receive an application fee waiver. Students selected for admission at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy will receive an annual fellowship of $10,000 for Virginia residents and $17,500 for residents of other states. For more information, interested students should contact the Director of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest.

Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy
Through an agreement with the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, students participating in the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program, or enrolled in either the Leadership in the Public Interest minor or the National Securities Studies minor are offered a priority track for admission into the Masters of Public Policy (MPP) program. Representatives of the School of Public Policy have committed to visiting campus and providing the Wilson Center with a list of recommended coursework for future applicants to best prepare them for the program. All students who apply, regardless of admissions decision, will receive an application fee waiver. Students selected for admission to the Master of Public Policy program at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy will receive an annual fellowship commensurate with fellowships awarded to students attending Pepperdine from other ‘Pepperdine Policy Partner’ institutions. Fellowships are awarded based on undergraduate GPA.  For more information, interested students should contact the Director of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest.

Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA)
Through an agreement with the with the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs at Cornell University, students participating in the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program, or enrolled in the Leadership in the Public Interest minor, and [Military Leadership and] National Securities Studies minor are offered a priority track for admission into the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program. Representatives of the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs have committed to visiting campus annually and providing the Wilson Center with a list of recommended coursework for future applicants to best prepare them for the program. All students who apply, regardless of admissions decision, will receive an application fee waiver. For more information, interested students should contact the Director of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest.