To the Hampden-Sydney College Community,
Friday night marked an extraordinary moment in Hampden-Sydney's history as we launched the public phase of our financial campaign, “It’s time, good men,” with a memorable kickoff dinner in Snyder Hall. The event was a wonderful celebration of our College's proud past, exciting present, and ambitious future, with inspiring remarks from alumni, students, and President Stimpert. The event featured announcements of major gifts that support the campaign’s two priorities: growing the endowment to fund access and advance our educational program, and aligning the quality of our facilities with the quality of the educational experience we offer young men.
Among the evening’s highlights was the announcement of a $30 million investment from Endeavour Legacy Foundation, led by Mrs. Katharine P. and Dr. Eugene W. Hickok '72. This visionary gift will endow multiple faculty and staff positions to grow and enhance the College’s curricular offerings in business, foreign affairs, and national security. This builds on the foundation's investments in Hampden-Sydney, including the recent $20 million commitment to the renovation of Gilmer Hall, which will house these newly endowed positions, among other generous contributions. The Endeavour Legacy Foundation's extraordinary generosity, combined with the $30 million investment by the Pauley Family Foundation that made possible the Pauley Science Center, now totals an astonishing $112.5 million. We are profoundly grateful for their devotion to Hampden-Sydney and their unwavering dedication to advancing the College and its commitment to character and intellectual development enshrined in our mission “to form good men and good citizens."
Endeavour Legacy Foundation's transformative investments align with our campaign's priorities of expanding our endowment and strengthening our academic core, which will elevate our national profile. By empowering the College to recruit top-tier faculty members who will expand our academic program in the areas of highest student demand, this investment will have a lasting impact on generations of Hampden-Sydney men. And, this academic program expansion will strengthen Hampden-Sydney’s ability to attract and recruit talented students.
In addition, we are celebrating significant commitments announced today to grow our scholarship endowment, support the ongoing maintenance of our beautifully restored Venable Hall, and fund exciting improvements to the Kirby Field House. These investments are testaments to the power of our alumni network and the bonds of brotherhood that define the Hampden-Sydney experience.
As we approach the 250th Anniversary of Hampden-Sydney’s founding and embark on a new chapter in our College's history, we do so with a profound sense of purpose and a bold vision for the future. Together, we will continue to shape principled leaders and engaged citizens, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and character to make a difference in our rapidly-changing world.
Thank-you to everyone who made our campaign launch a resounding success and to all who have invested in our vital mission. Your support powers our progress, and we are deeply grateful knowing that the best is yet to come for Hampden-Sydney College.