When Scott Anderson ’10 was being recruited to play college football, his choices came down to the University of Georgia and Hampden-Sydney College. The allure of playing big time college ball in Sanford Stadium as a preferred walk-on was pulling him to Athens until his father gave him some advice that he took to heart.
“My dad said ‘If you go to Hampden-Sydney, you’re going to do so much more than just eat, sleep, and play football,” Anderson remembers. “And he was right.”
As a Tiger, Anderson was a Hampden-Sydney Fire Department volunteer, Young Life leader, Student Senate chairman, Student Finance chair, and an economics major with a double minor in military leadership and national security studies and public service. He also played some pretty good football. The offensive lineman was part of the 2009 squad that went undefeated in Anderson’s senior year.
All these years later, Anderson is still finding ways to do more thanks to Hampden-Sydney. Despite a busy career as vice president of sales and marketing with Luxfer Gas Cylinders and a busy home life with his wife, Caroline, who is a morning news anchor for Spectrum News 1 NC, and keeping up with their three-year-old son, Anderson has served as president of the Alumni Board since 2021. His motivation is making sure that other alumni benefit from the nation’s number three alumni network as much as he has.
“I can see how much opportunity the alumni network opened up for me,” Anderson says. “It's been able to provide me and my family with a nice life, and I want to make sure that we strengthen our network so that we can put guys in the same position to succeed just like I was given a chance to.”
It was a chance encounter with Rob DuPuis ’84 on a rainy Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina, that led Anderson to his career with Luxfer. While waiting for her parents at a restaurant, Anderson’s wife, Caroline, noticed a gentleman wearing a Hampden-Sydney sweatshirt and encouraged Anderson to introduce himself. As chance would have it, DuPuis was the captain of the 1983 Tiger Football team and now an executive with Luxfer. He is also the father of current tiger football player Nate DuPuis ’27. Anderson was surprised to get a call from DuPuis several months later offering him a position at Luxfer. Happy with his position as district manager with E. & J. Gallo Winery, Anderson wasn’t looking to make a change.
Anderson’s parents once again gave him a piece of good advice: call DuPuis back and hear him out. Before Anderson had the chance to call him back, DuPuis phoned him again the next day. “Good persistent Hampden-Sydney man,” Anderson laughs. “Very, very thorough. He convinced me to come meet him for lunch in Greensboro again. That lunch was four and a half hours, and the rest is history. He really took me under his wing.”
At Luxfer—a leading manufacturer of high pressure and aluminum composite cylinders for industries including alternative fuel, aerospace, firefighter SCBA, medical, and fire extinguishing—Anderson rose through the ranks. Starting as a salesman, Anderson joined DuPuis on the leadership team in 2021 as director of product management and marketing. In 2023, he was named vice president of sales and marketing.
“I never thought I'd do anything with firefighting after being a volunteer at Hampden-Sydney,” Anderson says. “Now I’m calling on the biggest firefighting accounts in the world, and I've overseen several multi-year contracts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in supplying cylinders to the fire extinguishing industry. It’s been really rewarding.”
Anderson connects much of his life now to experiences he had or people he met because of Hampden-Sydney, and he works hard to pay it forward.
“It's been an incredible journey, and it wouldn't have been possible without Hampden Sydney,” Anderson says. “That story always makes me smile. It's one of the reasons I love Hampden-Sydney, and why I want to try to do the same. So when I'm back on campus, it's usually for a career fair or helping out with the Alumni Board.”
Anderson explains that the Alumni Board is responsible for the general welfare of the alumni network, uniting alumni in an effective organization that's dedicated to the promotion of the College. A few ways the Board accomplishes this mission is through engagement, philanthropy, mentorship, and recruitment. The Board serves as a liaison between the College and alumni, communicating current events, news, and opportunities to engage. Additionally, the Board supports admission efforts, recruiting the next generation of Hampden-Sydney men, as well as supporting current students and alumni with career preparation and professional networking.
When asked how alumni can get involved with the Board, Anderson says, “We’re always looking for volunteers. Get connected with your regional alumni chapter. Participate in Giving Day or become a Founder if you have the means. Also, get back to campus. Alumni Weekend, football games, basketball games, Homecoming: they’re all great opportunities to relive your favorite Hampden-Sydney memories. Finally, just sharing Hampden-Sydney with people you meet does a lot for the College. Share posts on social media, connect a prospective student with admissions. It all helps.”
“It's been really special for me,” Anderson says “Hampden- Sydney was always special, but giving back through the Alumni Board is the cherry on top.”
Anderson’s stewardship of the Alumni Board is emblematic of why Hampden-Sydney’s Alumni Network is ranked number three in the nation. With devoted servant leaders like Anderson, it’s only a matter of time before the network takes the top rank.
If you are interested in engaging with the College as a volunteer, visit alumni.hsc.edu to find opportunities.