October 14, 2025
On October 7, members of the Hampden-Sydney community gathered at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) to commemorate the College’s 250th anniversary, view a special exhibit, and hear from College leaders.
The exhibit at the VMHC—an institution with ties to Hampden-Sydney dating back to the 1830s—celebrates the College’s remarkable 250-year legacy through artifacts that reflect its storied history. Honoring the College’s milestone amid the nation’s own 250-year commemoration, the exhibit serves as a reflection of the shared and enduring values that unite Hampden-Sydney and American history. That shared history set the tone for an evening of celebration, beginning with camaraderie among the guests before Hugh Haskins ’01, vice president for College advancement, opened the program with his remarks.
“It is a profound honor to gather in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Hampden-Sydney College—an institution founded in 1775 with a noble and enduring mission to form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning,” Haskins said. “As we commemorate this milestone, we honor the vision of our founders, the dedication of those who have served, and the promise of those who will lead in the centuries to come.”
Following his remarks, Elliott Professor of History Caroline Emmons reflected on the journey leading up to the celebration and the collaborative efforts of numerous departments and individuals across campus. She spotlighted two major projects from the past year: the spring 2025 archaeological dig, which engaged students through a course co-taught by Emmons and archaeologist Dr. Charles Pearson and uncovered several artifacts—including a brick now featured in the VMHC exhibit—and the reenactment of Hampden-Sydney’s March to Williamsburg, a three-day event in April 2025 that retraced the Prince Edward militia’s historic march to defend the emerging nation from a potential British attack.
“I’m thrilled that our students have taken such an active role in this historic work,” Emmons said. “Everything we do at Hampden-Sydney should center on their learning experience. I’m deeply grateful to those who made the exhibit possible—the wonderful team at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture; our Archives and Digital Projects Librarian Dawnelle Ion, only the second archivist in the College’s 250-year history; Angie Way, director-curator of the Atkinson Museum; and Dr. Richard McClintock. The exhibit was made possible through support from the Department of History, the Compass Program, and the Atkinson Museum.”
Ion, who worked with the committee to assemble the display, devoted considerable time to organizing items and highlighting the best of Hampden-Sydney’s history.
“I get asked a lot, “How do you know where to start?” and I think the exhibit with VMHC is a great example of that,” Ion said. “Having a goal or theme—like the 250th exhibit—helped guide my work, showing which collections needed to be prioritized for inclusion. There’s something truly special about sharing a piece of history and seeing that spark of curiosity ignite in someone else. If anything, completing such an exhibit has only inspired me to process more collections and showcase even more of Hampden-Sydney’s history.”
“In addition, it feels a bit surreal to be only the second archivist in 250 years, but it’s also an incredible honor to help preserve that history,” Ion continued. “There’s still so much history to save and share, and having the opportunity to do that work every day is truly rewarding.”
Following Dr. Emmons’ remarks, President Larry Stimpert commended her dedicated work, along with that of 250th Anniversary Committee co-chairs Tommy Shomo ’69 and Trustee Eugene Hickok ’72. He reflected on the shared origins of the nation and the College, whose histories are deeply intertwined. President Stimpert spoke about the founders’ vision for a thriving republic grounded in civic virtue—“the willingness to put public interest ahead of personal interest,” as he described it—and noted the remarkable wording of the College’s first advertisement in September 1775, which emphasized its enduring mission to form good men and good citizens: “I tell our students all the time that the most important word in our mission is the word good because it reflects the view of our founders that this important good of civic virtue could be taught, and it could be learned.”
President Stimpert also reflected on how fostering character—through critical thinking, civil discourse, student responsibility, and the bonds of brotherhood—contributes to the formation of a more perfect union and equips students to assume leadership in their communities and places they call home.
“Today, we are the inheritors of an incredible legacy, and we have fulfilled this mission of forming good men and good citizens now for 250 years, by forming these good men and good citizens who go on to be leaders in every field of human endeavor,” Stimpert said. “Let's celebrate this national treasure, and remember that while we've inherited an incredible past, it's the work we're doing today and the work we do in the future that is the most important work for this college right now. All that we're doing at the College, everything that we've been working to do over the last several years, is aiming to make sure that our second half quarter millennium is even more glorious than our first quarter millennium.”
Watch An Evening at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture: Celebrating 250 Years of Hampden-Sydney on YouTube