March 13, 2026
Hampden-Sydney College is pleased to announce that distinguished historian Allen C. Guelzo will deliver the commencement address at the College’s Commencement Exercises at 10 am on May 9, 2026. The baccalaureate message will be delivered by noted historian and author Tracy McKenzie at 5 pm on May 8.
Dr. Guelzo is one of the nation’s foremost scholars on Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War era. A senior research scholar and director of the Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship at the James Madison Program at Princeton University, he is a three-time winner of the Lincoln Prize for his books, Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President; Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The end of Slavery in America; and Gettysburg: The Last Invasion, which spent eight weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was awarded the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History, the Fletcher Pratt Award, and the Richard Harwell Award. He is also the author of Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates That Defined America; Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment; Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction; and Robert E. Lee: A Life, which was named The Wall Street Journal Book of the Year. Most recently he is the co-author, along with James Hankins, of The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition.
Dr. Guelzo received his bachelor’s degree from Cairn University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. At commencement, Dr. Guelzo will address the class of 2026, their families, and members of the College community on the enduring significance of a liberal arts education and civic leadership.
Dr. McKenzie serves as the Arthur F. Holmes professor of faith and learning at Wheaton College, where he has taught since 1994. Prior to joining Wheaton College, Professor McKenzie held the Logan chair in American history at the University of Washington. A scholar of American history and the intersection of faith and public life, he is the author of several books exploring the role of Christian conviction in the American founding and national development, including, most recently, We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy. He is also the author of A Little Book for New Historians: Why and How to Study History; The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us about Loving God and Learning from History; and Lincolnites and Rebels: A Divided Town in the American Civil War. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University. At the College’s baccalaureate service, Dr. McKenzie will offer reflections in keeping with Hampden-Sydney’s historic mission and its commitment to forming young men of character and faith.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Guelzo and Dr. McKenzie to campus for these important occasions in the life of our College that will mark the conclusion of our 250th anniversary commemoration,” says H-SC President Larry Stimpert. “Both scholars appreciate Hampden-Sydney’s distinctive 250-year mission of forming good men and good citizens, and exemplify the College’s commitment to civic virtue. Their voices will provide wisdom and inspiration to our graduates as they leave Hampden-Sydney to lead lives of consequence.”
Weather permitting, the College’s Commencement Exercises and Baccalaureate Service will be held on the historic Venable Lawn.
Guelzo photo credit: Sameer Khan, courtesy of Princeton University
McKenzie photo credit: Photo courtesy of Wheaton College