September 15, 2026
Hampden-Sydney College is proud to announce the establishment of two new academic schools: the Citrone School of Business and Economics and the Hickok School of Government, History, and Civic Leadership. Made possible by transformational gifts from two of the College's most devoted alumni families, the new schools create unified academic homes for students preparing for careers in business, finance, public policy, law, and civic leadership.
“These two schools are a reflection of everything a Hampden-Sydney education can make possible,” says Provost and Dean of the Faculty Tim Diette. “They represent not just new names for some of the College's outstanding academic departments and programs but also a more integrated and purposeful education in the areas most vital to our students' futures. We are deeply grateful to these families for their vision and their continued belief in our mission.”
The Citrone School honors the generosity of Robert K. ’87 and Cindy Citrone, whose decades-long commitment to Hampden-Sydney includes a landmark $55 million gift establishing the Citrone Scholars Program, the largest single contribution in the College's 250-year history. The Citrone Scholars Program funds 25 new full-tuition scholarships each year, opening the door to a Hampden-Sydney education for exceptional students regardless of financial circumstance.
The school brings together the Economics and Business Department, the Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Center for the Study of Political Economy, creating a unified academic home for students pursuing careers in finance, business, public policy, and beyond. “Rob Citrone graduated from the College as valedictorian, went on to build one of the nation's most respected investment firms, and then turned around and invested in the next generation of Hampden-Sydney men,” Diette says. “That's exactly the kind of citizen we aspire to form.”
The Citrone School will offer two majors: economics and business and mathematical economics. The economics and business major features five focused tracks: finance, management, public economics, international economics and business, and general economics and business, allowing students to align their studies with their career goals early in their academic experience. Advanced coursework in financial modeling, managerial decision-making, business policy and strategy, empirical public policy, and applied econometrics and forecasting prepares students for graduate study and high-level careers in business and public service.
Students in the Citrone School benefit from the College's legendary alumni network, highly regarded Career Center, and guaranteed internship, research, and off-campus study opportunities, along with research opportunities such as senior seminars, independent studies for credit, and privately funded research grants. The Tiger Fund, a student-run investment group that manages a portfolio of over $2 million, gives students real-world financial experience with real stakes from a dedicated trading room in the newly renovated Gilmer Hall. The Tiger Fund room features 12 Bloomberg terminals and a live stock ticker. The Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation further supports students with entrepreneurial ambitions, while the Center for the Study of Political Economy connects economic theory to policy and civic life.
“Rob and Cindy's investment bolsters the College's ability to attract even more of the most talented young men to Hampden-Sydney,” says President Larry Stimpert. “The Citrone School ensures those students will have a world-class academic home from the moment they arrive.”
The Hickok School honors the generous investments of Dr. Eugene W. ’72 and Katharine P. Hickok and Endeavour Legacy Foundation. The school brings together the politics (formerly government and foreign affairs) and history departments, the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest, and the Center for Public History, giving students a more integrated and purposeful education in the ideas, principles, and practices essential to self-government and civic virtue.
“The Hickok School is a natural evolution of our founding mission to form good men and good citizens,” Diette says. “This new arrangement of our already outstanding academic departments and programs will help to better prepare our students for the awesome responsibility of leadership and give them the tools they need to lead lives of consequence. We are incredibly grateful to Gene and Kathy Hickok and Endeavour Legacy Foundation for their vision and their commitment to preparing talented young men of promise to provide leadership for our country and the world.”
The school will offer majors in government, foreign affairs, and history, as well as specialized minors in legal studies, national security, and public policy. It will also serve as the home for the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program and the Hampden-Sydney Bar Association, strengthening the College's reputation for producing leaders in law, public service, and civic life.
After completing his undergraduate studies at Hampden-Sydney, Gene Hickok earned his doctorate at the University of Virginia and taught at Dickinson College, where he was twice honored with the Ganoe Award for Inspirational Teaching. He later served in the office of legal counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, served as Pennsylvania’s secretary of education, and served as United States deputy secretary of education. He has also published numerous books and articles on government and public policy. Katharine Hickok, a graduate of Sweet Briar College, is the daughter of Stanley Pauley, whose $30 million investment allowed Hampden-Sydney to build the Pauley Science Center. Continuing a family legacy of transformational giving through her leadership of the Pauley Family Foundation and Endeavour Legacy Foundation, Katharine has extended her philanthropy across education, the arts, healthcare, and affordable housing, reflecting a broad commitment to strengthening institutions and communities. Together, Mr. Pauley and the Hickoks, through the Pauley Family Foundation and Endeavour Legacy Foundation, have contributed nearly $120 million to Hampden-Sydney College.
Together, the Citrone School and the Hickok School reflect Hampden-Sydney's commitment to a liberal arts education with real-world impact, ensuring that economic reasoning, civic virtue, and historical understanding are foundational skills that continue to anchor student life on the Hill and beyond.
“These two schools give our students world-class academic homes from the moment they arrive,” Stimpert says. “They are a powerful statement about where Hampden-Sydney is headed as we begin our next 250-year chapter.”
Building on the foundations laid by generations of dedicated Tigers, the new Citrone and Hickok schools stand to bring greater stability and depth to the academic experience in business, economics, civics, and public affairs. With these strategic additions, Hampden-Sydney strengthens two of its most established and popular areas of study, creating deeper academic homes for students preparing to lead in business, government, law, and civic life—and carrying forward the College’s enduring mission “to form good men and good citizens” for the next 250 years.