November 21, 2025
On November 3, the first-ever Symposium on Young American Men was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by The Lafayette Company, the symposium brought together leaders from the realms of law and policy, education, and healthcare to discuss the challenges facing young men in our nation and propose evidence-based solutions.
College President Larry Stimpert participated in a panel titled “The Campus Challenge: How Higher Education Can Better Serve Male Students.” The panel—moderated by Anthony Mack, director of chapter services for Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity—also included Dr. Steve McGuire, American Council of Trustees and Alumni; Dr. Dawn Watkins Wiese, Virginia Military Institute; and Ed Magee, Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University.
During Stimpert’s introduction, Hampden-Sydney was highlighted as one of only four all-male higher educational institutions in the U.S., a distinction it holds with Morehouse College, Wabash College, and Saint John’s University.
The importance of all-male institutions in America was underscored during the discussion as the ongoing struggles of American men, ranging from social isolation and various addictions to mental health issues, and beyond, are emerging as national crises to be addressed at all levels of society. Dr. Stimpert credited the all-male environment at Hampden-Sydney with pushing young men to take on leadership roles and responsibilities they often leave to women in coeducational institutions. He pointed out that by their senior year at Hampden-Sydney, 90 percent of students “have already held a major leadership responsibility.”
Addressing how to reverse the decline in male participation in higher education throughout the country, Stimpert underlined the need to address young men in positive as opposed to negative terms, stating, “We need to be telling young men as early as elementary school, and even before, ‘here’s what you can do. Here’s the potential you carry with you.’”
Dr. Stimpert went on to emphasize that developing a sense of purpose is vital for young men’s success, and that Hampden-Sydney centralizes this pursuit, saying, “That simple phrase, ‘to form good men and good citizens,’ has been our mission for 250 years.”
The role of fraternities in sharing the weight of growth in a man’s higher education and beyond was also a central topic of the panel’s discussion. Speaking on the significance of camaraderie in a young man’s development, Magee noted that, “belonging with standards is oxygen for young men; that’s the brotherhood and the connection that they’re all longing for.” At Hampden-Sydney, roughly 40 percent of students participate in Greek life.
“The decision to join a Greek fraternity is not a four-year decision; it is a lifetime decision,” says Hampden-Sydney College Associate Dean of Students for Conduct and Character and Director of Greek Life Dwayne Bowyer ’92. “I believe that being a member of a fraternity adds an additional layer of support and accountability that comes from being a part of something bigger than yourself.”
For two and a half centuries, Hampden-Sydney has stood as a beacon for those seeking a life of purpose. Today, as ever, the brotherhood endures as a space for young men to thrive and build character through meaningful connections.