Wilson Archive Update

Since last reporting, much progress has been made on the processing of the Samuel V. Wilson Papers. All items have been placed in acid-free folders and boxes. The collection has been organized at the folder level to allow for easier access to materials. Dr. Colin Woodward, Hampden-Sydney’s Project Archivist, has been working for months on a finding aid that will be uploaded to the Hampden-Sydney College Archives and Special Collections’ catalog and will also be available as a PDF. When finished, the finding aid will be 150 pages long, providing researchers with a detailed breakdown of materials in the collection and where they are located. 

The collection is organized into various series covering major portions of Wilson’s life and career. The papers begin with Wilson family genealogical material before moving into Sam’s early military days, including his time in Merrill’s Marauders during World War II, his Cold War intelligence work, and his time as a commander in Vietnam. The collection includes thousands of letters, military papers, and photographs, as well as Sam’s speeches, personal writings, and family correspondence. The Samuel Vaughn Wilson Papers will serve as the centerpiece of the newly created Hampden-Sydney College Archives and Special Collections.   

In December, Colin Woodward met with veteran, poet, and H-SC faculty member Alan Farrell for an interview at Bortz Library. Dr. Farrell was a professor of modern languages at Hampden-Sydney for over twenty years before working at the Virginia Military Institute. He also served in Special Forces during the Vietnam conflict and was training at Fort Bragg when Colonel Sam was there (though the two did not meet until later). Woodward and Farrell talked for over an hour about Dr. Farrell’s life and career as well as his admiration for Wilson and friendship with him. The interview is available at Colin Woodward’s General Wilson blog.      

Angela Way and Richard McClintock have been meeting with Woodward to plan an exhibit on General Wilson for the Hampden-Sydney Museum. The exhibit will feature memorabilia, exhibit panels, and enlarged photographs that will tell the story of Wilson’s life and career. The exhibit will open in March. 

In the spring, Dr. Woodward will give a talk on General Wilson at the Virginia Forum. Using photographs from the collection, Woodward will provide a brief overview of General Sam’s contributions, and will also discuss the processing of the collection and its opening to researchers in July. The time and date of the talk is uncertain at this time. The conference has been rescheduled due to the ongoing pandemic.  

The acquisition of the Samuel Vaughn Wilson papers has had a positive ripple effect for Archives and Special Collections at Hampden-Sydney. In March of 2020, political strategist and former Nixon campaigner Ken Rietz transferred his papers to the college. The collection includes personal papers, including correspondence, campaign proposals, memoranda, visual media, photographs, and a large amount of original campaign paraphernalia, representing over thirty years of Republican candidates at the national and state level. Selections from these materials, including buttons, posters, and bumper stickers from Rietz’s inspired “Young Voters for the President” campaign in 1972, are currently on display in Bortz Library. 

With the help of Merrill’s Marauders liaison officer Jonnie Melillo Clasen and the Wilson Center, H-SC Archives and Special Collections were able to secure the acquisition of over thirty linear feet of historical material related to Merrill’s Marauders in March of 2020. These materials include General Orders, Special Orders, photographs, oral histories, and a database of soldier names, all meticulously maintained and collected by Hansel Haycox, Merrill’s Marauders descendant historian, together with former Marauder and official historian of the unit, Bob Passanisi.  

The acquisition of these collections ensures that researchers will have other in-house archival collections available for more targeted research, if they so choose. Archival and Digital Projects Librarian Sarah Almond, hired in March of 2020, will begin processing both collections early this year with an eye towards having them available in tandem with the July release of the Samuel Vaughn Wilson Collection to the public.   

A public exhibition of the Wilson Collection is planned at the College’s Atkinson Museum this March.  Please stay tuned for more information! 

Wilson Center in the News

Col. William Anderson ‘67, USA Ret., former member, Wilson Center Board of Advisors 
Candid advice for those wanting to pursue legal careers with overseas organizations,” Lawfire, November 30, 2020 

The Honorable John Hillen, James C. Wheat Professor in Leadership; former Trustee of H-SC 
How to Remember Pearl Harbor Day,” National Review, December 7, 2020 

The Honorable John Hillen, James C. Wheat Professor in Leadership; former Trustee of H-SC 
Don’t add elections to the eroding trust in American institutions,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 28, 2020 

Dr. David E. Marion, Elliott Emeritus Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs and Wilson Center faculty fellow
Civic Education for a Madisonian America: An Essay in Honor of Ronald L. Heinemann,” December 2020

Spring Virtual Event Series

Fireside Chat
The Need to Teach Leadership Across Time, Cultures, and Disciplines  
January 27, 7pm 
The Hon. Dr. John Hillen moderates a conversation with Wilson Center Teaching Fellows, Dr. Viktoria Basham and Dr. Jennifer Vitale 

Black History Month Celebration
Wealth, Race, and Collective Action: Advancing Equity in America
February 4, 7pm  
In partnership with the Office of Equity and Inclusion,
 Sekou Kaalund ’97

President’s Day 2021
February 16, 7pm   
The Last Romantic, the First Modern President:
Theodore Roosevelt in the White House, 
Dr. Henry W. Brands           

Leadership in K-12 Education
March 10,  7pm   
Rev. Dr. Anthony Sgro ’88, Asheville School 
Timothy Beatty ’97, Heritage HS Lynchburg 
Harrison Stuart ’02, Episcopal School of Nashville 

A Recent Graduate in the Arena
March 1, 7pm  
Adam Christensen ’16 and his run for Congress  

The Quest for Trust
March 24,  7pm  
Institutional Leadership and The Rebuilding of Confidence in American Institutions, 
The Hon. Dr. John Hillen 

Lt. General Samuel V. Wilson—A Life of Service
April 13, 7pm 
A discussion with Dr. Colin Woodward, Wilson Archivist 

Remembering Ronald Lynton Heinemann, Squires Professor Emeritus of History

The Hampden-Sydney community lost a legend this November. Dr. Ronald Heinemann will be remembered for his charismatic lectures, strong opinions, humor, outstanding scholarship, humility, and service to this community, our commonwealth, and our republic. Dr. Heinemann was a longtime supporter of the Summer College and the Wilson Center lectures and programs. He was awarded the James Madison Award for service to the Wilson Center in the spring of 2018.   

Dr. Heinemann epitomized the very best of what it meant to be a professor at Hampden-Sydney College and at any institution committed to liberal education. He was an outstanding scholar, noted by many in his discipline, but was superbly gifted in the classroom and dedicated to teaching. He had many deeply held opinions, but was objective, open-minded, and always willing to listen and acknowledge strong points, even when they differed with his opinions. He critiqued the institution but did so out of love, respect and hope for positive change. He ultimately served this institution he loved for parts of seven decades. Most importantly, students were at the heart of what he did. He held students accountable, pushed, critiqued, and thoroughly enjoyed teaching, shaping, and molding 18-22 year old young men. 

Dr.  Heinemann was committed to the College, to liberal arts education, and to our mission of forming good men and good citizens with the hope that the students would serve others, and in so doing would help perpetuate our republic. Transcendent values like service, honesty, objectivity, community, the transfer and building of knowledge, and care for the underserved defined his professional life.  

May his life of service stand as model for current and future Hampden-Sydney faculty, staff, and students.  May we continue to remember Mrs. Sandy Heinemann, their daughter Erica, son David, grandchildren, extended family, and friends in our thoughts and our prayers. 

Please be on the lookout for additional information about ways Dr. Heinemann will be honored by the Wilson Center, the History Department, and the College.   

Enjoy some remembrances from his colleagues at the Wilson Center:

Farmville Herald Article 

Talk with Drs. Simms and Heinemann 

Electoral College Debate with Drs. Marion and Heinemann 


Dr. John Eastby 

When I was asked to add to the remembrances of Ron, I was not sure where to begin. I have only been here since 1989, and Ron was already twenty years into his career when I came to know him. Unlike several member of my department, (Political Science at the time) I did not have an office on the third floor of Morton so, excepting as I had a class on the floor, I did not see Ron often nor have occasion to interact professionally with him on any regular basis.  We knew who each other was, and from early on, I understood that Ron was an important member of the Four Horsemen of the History Department (Jim Simms, Amos Lee Laine, and Keith Fitch). Ron and I seldom had any sustained interaction and he was not on the same committees as I was during that time.  

 It was really not for another ten years after I arrived, I suppose, that I came to know Ron beyond the acquaintance level. Oddly enough, the circumstances were not academic but musical, and religious music in particular. Rondi and I had begun attending College Church almost immediately after arriving at H-SC, and Rondi joined the choir quite early in our time here, but I did not. I am not even sure when I did finally join, but it can be placed somewhere in the late 1990’s. Ron sang tenor, and I was a baritone, but there were times when another tenor was needed. Gradually, I began singing tenor as often as I was singing bass or baritone, and it was in that role that I think I most fully came to know Ron. He had a very nice tenor voice–smooth, and gentle–if I may put it that way. His pitch and sense of rhythm were both sound, and he was a regular in attendance, both for practice and on Sunday.   

Although I was a genuine latecomer, the tenors section (he and Dr. Tom Mayo having anchored the section for some time before I joined) I always felt welcome. Anyway, to get to the main point, it was in the choir that I got to know Ron and to see the ways in which his public or teaching life flowed out of his personal life. In practice he wanted to make sure we got things right melodically and rhythmically.  His entrances were always firm and confident. Even when West Wing was calling, he was willing to go over a part or a piece one more time to make sure we had the music. He was almost invariably upbeat and positive in rehearsal and on Sundays. Before or after rehearsal (and sometimes while the sopranos went over a part) we almost always had occasion to discuss something related to the well-being of the College (and it was never far from his mind), or the state of the nation and the Commonwealth, or the Detroit Tigers.   

And so it was on Wednesday nights that I got to see Ron in regular action and to see the depth of his sense of care for the well-being of the institution, and particularly, the education of our students. What always stood out, even from vantage of a choir conversation, was that his concern was not just that they acquire some detail of historical knowledge, or hone their ability to write, but that they develop a moral alertness as the touchstone for interpreting the history or the news they (and we) are bombarded with daily. And so, most every week during the fall and spring (summers were down time for the choir), I was gradually provided the opportunity to encounter Ron, not just as a colleague, but a fellow singer, church congregant, and friend.  When Ron became ill and need treatments in Richmond a few years back, he asked me to drive him for one of the visits. We had a far ranging conversation of the type one only gets to have on rare occasions, and it will probably be the memory of that day that will stick with me most fully in the coming years.  

It was partly that engagement that gave me the idea to use Ron and others to help in a course that Dr. Ken Lehman and I put together about two years ago now. Ron had played an important part in planning and producing the Vietnam War Conference back in 1992–certainly the most remarkable conference I ever had occasion to observe here or anywhere else. General Sam Wilson had wanted to use that conference as a resource for the students, but we had not followed up on that fully over the years.  However, after some conversation with Dr. Lehman, we dusted off the tapes and used them as a basis for reconsidering American participation in the war. As we planned the program, it increasingly seemed appropriate to bring in some of the original H-SC contributors to the panels. These include Dr. Alan Farrell, Dr. Jim Simms and of course Dr. Heinemann. We brought them in twice each, and we also used B.A. Klein for a session as well. And in all four cases, their presentations and discussions went beyond what Ken and I could have hoped for. I am not sure that, without having come to know Ron in choir and the discussions that grew out of that experience, it would have occurred to me (us) to offer the special topics course and to bring Ron and the others in, but Ron was immediately supportive of the project. And as I say, he did not disappoint. He (and Alan and Jim) being contemporaries of the war and participants in the conference brought a life to our discussion which will always make that course one of the significant memories of my time at H-SC.  

I am sure that by living in this academic village for thirty years I would have come to know Ron regardless, but, as I hope I made clear above, it was, I think, the regular contact and opportunities made possible in the somewhat unlikely venue of College Church Choir that led to many, if not most, of my strongest memories of Ron. It was in College Church that the colleague I first met in the halls of Morton became a friend and something of a model for understanding education, not simply as the assimilation of information, but as the development of a serious moral capacity by which to filter and use that information.   


Dr. Caroline Emmons 

A sad year became sadder still when our College community lost two longtime faculty members with the deaths of Tom De Wolfe, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, and Ron Heinemann, Squires Emeritus Professor of History. Both men had taught at the College for decades, shaping not only the academic program, but also the lives of thousands of young men. As a member of the History Department, I worked most closely with Ron Heinemann and, indeed, had been hired to be his replacement in teaching 20th-century American History. Of course, no one could replace Ron, and he was never really ready to retire. As a result, I had the opportunity to be his colleague more than his successor. In important respects, Ron shaped my understanding of what it means to be an effective faculty member at Hampden-Sydney: a passion for teaching, a commitment to the ideals upon which the college was founded and, above all, dedication to the education of our students. 

Many students and alumni have shared memories of Ron and the experience of taking classes with him. One I’ve heard most often recalls the first day of Ron’s Civil War class, when he habitually proclaimed to students that Robert E. Lee was a traitor, a shocking assertion for many raised on a very different historical interpretation. While Ron may not have persuaded all of his students to accept this view —although more than a few have said they were persuaded, to their own surprise— he was such a forceful and effective lecturer that most were enthralled from that moment forward. I learned from Ron that, while our students may be taken aback when presented with challenging or unwelcome information, if I was rigorous with them and with myself, fearless in presenting the historical record, and uncompromising in expecting them to use evidence and reason to support their positions, I could be successful in Hampden-Sydney classrooms. I have always found this to be true. Ron pushed all of us to be better: better at explaining and defending our views, better at nurturing our students in their intellectual growth, and better at serving as stewards of the College he loved so well. 


Dr. David Marion 

Remembering a Good Man and a Good Citizen 

Ronald Heinemann was not a quiet or timid member of the Hampden-Sydney community—he made his presence felt around campus, and beyond the campus as well.  He was unquestionably a consequential member of the Hampden-Sydney family, and the depth of his commitment to making a difference was reflected in the energy, passion, and serious thought that he invested in his teaching, his scholarship, his community service, and life itself. His moral convictions defined him in every way that is important, and they were visible for everyone to see—Ron was not one to hide his convictions under a bushel basket.  Our conversations over a period of more than forty years, some of them public and some private, were often spirited and always enlightening. Our last public debate, on the merits of the Electoral College, took place less than a month before his untimely death. His criticism of the Electoral College was tough and informed, and his stamina at 81 left me at 72 feeling rather aged. I apologized the next morning for the occasional aggressiveness of my defense of the Electoral College only to have him respond that debates should be spirited. He could be spirited himself, but he was always a gentleman.  Ron was emblematic of what was best about the Hampden-Sydney College that I joined in the mid-1970s—it will be a shame if the qualities that defined him are not also emblematic of what is the best about Hampden-Sydney College in the decades to come.  


Dr. Jim Simms 

Written by his dear friend and long-time colleague, Dr. Jim Simms, as Dr. Heinemann was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion 

Our second honoree for the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion is Ronald Lynton Heinemann, Squires Professor Emeritus of History. Professor Heinemann began his teaching career at Hampden-Sydney College in 1968, teaching American History, specifically the era of the Civil War and 20th Century U.S. History, and retiring from full-time teaching in 2004. Continuing to teach on a part-time basis, Professor Heinemann has just completed his thirty-ninth year of service to the College, a service that on any standard would be considered outstanding—outstanding as one of the most renowned and respected teachers at Hampden-Sydney College in the last half of the 20th century. He has received teaching awards on six different occasion: the Settle Trustees Prize for outstanding teaching and scholarship, the Cabell Teaching Award, and four Fuqua Teaching Awards voted on by the students. Professor Heinemann has also been outstanding as a scholar, being an authority on Virginia History and having authored or edited four monographs and published several articles pertaining to the Commonwealth.  His most important book is the very highly praised biography of an icon of Virginia politics–Harry Byrd.  In addition, he is frequently asked to give lectures on Virginia’s history and politics around the state. His record as a scholar and teacher make him a standout even within the very talented and productive faculty at Hampden-Sydney—primus inter pares.  

But, Professor Heinemann’s service to the College transcends being just a teacher and scholar. A good liberal arts education is only one aspect of the Hampden-Sydney experience—albeit quite important.  Hampden-Sydney is also about the formation “of good men and good citizens,” and once again Professor Heinemann has been an outstanding servant of this College as a role model for her sons.  Among his many personality strengths is a strong moral ethos which informs his person, his teaching, and his scholarship. Dr. Heinemann believes that the historian must do more than simply recount the past and study history for its own sake. He believes that the historian functions as the moral conscience of the society. Ultimately, the historian must assess the past and make moral judgments which are intended to inform the students’ judgments about the present and reinforce the values brought with the student to the College. It is indicative of the presence of moral issues in his classroom that before his first semester at Hampden-Sydney was completed, the students had given him the sobriquet “Righteous Ronnie,” not a appellation of derision, but one of sincere affection and respect. 

One might argue that what is more important to the student than the facts and dates of the past or even the moral assessment that one may make—history after all is a matter of interpretation—is the professor himself. Students will forget the details of the past, i.e. who was the “Rock of Chicaumaugua,” or what was General Westmoreland’s strategy at Khe Son., but they will not forget the experience of being in Professor Heinemann’s class. Dr. Heinemann was and still is an example of what is truly to be admired in a professor. He presented to his students a dignified persona, and by respecting his student he engendered their respect. To conduct oneself with dignity was the standard for both student and professor. His students observed that taking pride in one’s work and hard work itself are admirable traits. They learned that being passionate about life and about one’s profession are positive virtues. They observed that one should have the courage of his convictions, as he himself demonstrated on a number of issues over the years. And they observed that caring for the downtrodden and rejecting discrimination is an obligation of all good men and good citizens.  And they understood that while he was preaching to them, instructing them, and criticizing them, he cared deeply about them as young people and about their spiritual and moral well-being. The students knew that he liked them. Ultimately, it is who he was and is as a person that is his most important gift to his students and this College community. 

Professor Heinemann has made teaching at Hampden-Sydney his life’s work in the vein of Brinkley, Thompson, Crawley, Bliss, Ferenz, Gilmer …. Working here was not simply a nice way to earn a living; working here was a commitment to a way of life. A man of dedication, honor, and integrity, Professor Heinemann has unreservedly given of himself to this College, the community and his students and is a worthy recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion. 

Alex Zorko ‘22

Alex Zorko '22 in a Hampden-Sydney sweatshirt

The main reason why I chose to attend Hampden-Sydney College, at the time, was the opportunity to play tennis and pursue academics. I vividly remember the student tour that my mom and I received and the way the tour guide described the College. Whether it was the Career Center, the Wilson Center, the Alumni Network or simply the Brotherhood that one gets to experience, the student was proud to be a Hampden-Sydney man and a Tiger. We loved it so much that the next day we actually paid the fee to reserve a spot in the class of 2022. 

Outside of being a proud Wilson Fellow, in the past five semesters I have been involved with the Minority Student Union, Spanish Club, German Club, the Brother 4 Brother Mentorship program, College Activity Council, Madisonian, Pre-Law Society, Phi-Beta Lambda (Pre-Business Society), the Soccer Club, and the Varsity Tennis Team. I have had the pleasure to work in the Bortz Library, in the Office of Global Education, as a Resident Advisor, in the Office of Communications, as well as a tutor for German. 

Alex Zorko in Copenhagen
Zorko at the Alliance of Democracies summit
in Copenhagen

The number and variety of speakers that we have had the opportunity to listen to is amazing. As a foreign affairs major, it is always fascinating to see the wide range of alumni that H-SC has to offer. Ambassador McMullen ‘86, Henrik Rasmussen ‘03, and President Trible ’68 were some of my favorite speakers that have been on campus. By far the best part of the Wilson Center is their reach and the willingness to help students. I remember my freshman year when Dr. Pemberton pulled me aside, and asked me to come by the board room in the library with my resume printed out because he had an alumnus he wanted to introduce me to who could help me in my search for an internship. I was very excited. At that time I had heard about the Alumni Network but had not experienced it for myself. As I arrived, Dr. Pemberton immediately introduced me to Henrik Rasmussen ’03. Henrik and I talked for maybe ten minutes and after looking at my resume, he told me that he would reach out to some folks for an internship. I could not believe what just happened. Later that day, I emailed him to thank him for taking the time, and a couple of days later, I received an email inquiring if I wanted to become a volunteer for a summit hosted by the Alliance of Democracies in Copenhagen. 

The Wilson Leadership Fellow Program has shaped me in many ways. I have grown from my freshman year, and much is accredited to the Wilson Center. I would say that the Wilson Center and other Wilson Fellows have pushed me to get involved in the life of H-SC. Looking at my class of Wilson Fellows, we have had a mutual understanding of taking leadership positions across campus. While I am a member of the College Activities Council, I have friends who are juniors in the program, representing the Honor Court, the Senate, and other leadership roles. For me personally, I think the lesson that we all learn from the beginning is that a leader must step up and take action. 

I am not entirely sure what I will be doing after my time at H-SC. I could be pursuing my Master’s degree either here in the States or back in Europe. I am open to any opportunity, and right now I am giving it more time to see what other options may open up in the future.  

Jason Covaney ‘22

Jason Covaney in baseball uniform

Why I chose H-SC: I chose Hampden-Sydney first and foremost because I wanted to have a small and intimate classroom and campus setting. Since my dad Mike (‘93) is an alumnus of the college, it was an easy decision. I love how the school is so tight-knit and how much weight a degree from Hampden-Sydney carries, and I knew it was the best place for me. 

I currently compete on the swim team and baseball team, I am an RA, and a member of Alpha Chi Sigma and the Wilson Leadership Fellows Program (WFLP). 

What I have enjoyed most about the WLFP is being able to have the opportunity to listen to so many guest speakers and their takes on leadership in many of its different aspects in life, at school, and in the workplace. 

ason Covaney '22 with his father, Michael Covaney '93
Jason Covaney ’22 with his father Michael ’93

Simply put, the WLFP, combined with the standards instilled by the college, has allowed me not only to grow as a good man and good citizen, but also as a leader. Being a leader is being a good citizen, so I think that the WLFP has helped me live out the standards of the college. 

After Hampden-Sydney, I plan on entering graduate school to focus on astrophysics, with the goal of earning my PhD in the field. After that, I hope to work as a researcher in the space industry, such as NASA, SpaceX, etc. 

New Mentorship Component Offered

An exciting part of our newly established year three of the Wilson Leadership Fellows program is a mentorship component. Mentorship is one of our three pedagogical pillars. The others are reflection and practice, along with community. Throughout the program, fellows are mentored by upperclassmen at various sessions, service projects, and workshops, as well as by their leadership advisors, who work with the same fellows for their entire four years. At the start of year three, fellows are also assigned an alumni/trustee mentor whom they will work with for two years. These mentors are engaged Wilson Center volunteers, members of the Board of Advisors, or members of the James Madison Society (a group of former Hampden-Sydney trustees who are committed to serving the College and its outstanding young men).

A key purpose of this alumni mentorship component is to ensure our fellows know they are supported fully by the larger Hampden-Sydney community. Specifically, mentors work with fellows to support their entry into a chosen profession and the Hampden-Sydney alumni network. Matches were made virtually (unfortunately, because of COVID-19 precautions) at the start of the academic year. We do hope to host a mentor/mentee in-person outing this spring at Red Hill, Patrick Henry’s Charlotte County home. 

Mentor and mentee discussions may include specific class work that supports entrance into a given profession or graduate school, academic/co-curricular balance, professional networking, and entrance into the Hampden-Sydney alumni network. We are excited about the development of these relationships, and we thank our mentors for making an investment in the lives of our outstanding young men!

Leadership Fellows Pre-term Workshop Update

Sixty-eight outstanding young men started their journeys as Wilson Fellows on Monday, August 17th.  These fellows were student body presidents, Eagle Scouts, Boys State participants, decorated athletes and scholars. More importantly, they are earnest, hard-working, and decent young men. We are very excited to work with them.

During their pre-term Martin Leadership Program workshop, fellows heard from Dr. James Pontuso and Dr. Gene Hickok, hiked the Wilson trail, engaged in case studies, had fun on our ropes course, and built a sense of community. Since the start of classes, fellows have learned about leadership from President Stimpert; learned lessons from the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, in a discussion with Wheat Professor John Hillen; and engaged in workshops with the American Shakespeare Center. Later this semester they will take the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator and learn about emotional intelligence in hopes that each fellow will become more self-aware and prepared to be part of successful teams.

Each fellow is paired with a leadership advisor who will work with the young man for four years, helping him connect his classroom work to his co-curricular pursuits so that he may get the most out of his time on the Hill. All fellows are placed into a foundational leadership class designed specifically for Wilson Fellows. Class topics include leadership in antiquity; interfaith leadership; modern American leaders; U.S. military and national security; leadership and personality; and labor camps, crime, and leadership in the Soviet Union. 

Our fellows are eager to become the very best versions of themselves. It is a calling to work with these “men of character” who will lead “lives of consequence.” Foundational program goals include ethical decision-making, civil discourse, leadership in diverse contexts, and active citizenship.

The Martin Leadership Program is year one of the four-year Wilson Leadership Fellows program, named in honor of David Martin ’52. A smart, creative, and successful advertising executive, David was a consummate Hampden-Sydney man and it is fitting that the program is named in his memory. His wife, Louise Martin, remains active with the program and the Wilson Center. She currently serves on the Wilson Center Board of Advisors.

Andrew Smith ’22

Andrew Smith headshot
  • Why did you choose HSC?
    I chose Hampden-Sydney because I was looking for a smaller college that would provide me with opportunities to succeed. I came on an overnight visit my senior year of high school and immediately felt at home. I met some incredible people and wanted to develop the close relationships I saw on campus between students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
  • What activities have you been engaged with on campus?
    In addition to serving as a Wilson Fellow, I am a member of the Garnet and Grey Society, the President’s Men, and the Pre-Health Society. I am in Alpha Epsilon Delta, a health pre-professional honor society. I have also served as the annotator and COVID-19 chair for the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
  • What have you enjoyed most about the Wilson Leadership Fellows program?
    I have enjoyed meeting my fellow members in the program. It provided an environment to meet other leaders that have been in every organization I am involved with on campus. Now that my brother is a freshman in the program, I look forward to working with him at events, too.
  • How has the WLFP helped you grow as a person, student, or leader?
    The program has allowed me to examine leadership through a different lens than I did in the past. We get to talk about leadership in an academic setting and practice what we have learned in a controlled environment. I have also had amazing mentors through the program who have improved my overall college experience.
  • What are your plans after HSC?
    Following graduation, I plan on going to medical school.
Andrew Smith with his brother
Andrew, pictured with his brother Jack ’24

Wilson Archive Update

Upon his passing in the summer of 2017, General Wilson’s family donated all of his writings, awards, books, and memorabilia to Hampden-Sydney College—a treasure trove that includes pictures, U.S. Army papers, diplomatic passports, personal notes, and other artifacts. The depth and breadth of this collection is astounding, encompassing military history from WWII to the Global War on Terror, the building of our current national security infrastructure, higher education, Virginia politics, and local civic life.  

A small group of alumni and friends made generous gifts to support the hiring of a full-time term archivist—Dr. Colin Woodward, who began his work in July 2019—to digitize and catalogue the collection. In so doing, they ensured that General Wilson’s memory will continue to teach and inspire generations of Hampden-Sydney men as well as others across the Commonwealth and the nation. 

As of September 2020, much progress has been made on the Sam Wilson Papers. Over the summer, Dr. Woodward took a detailed inventory of the major sections of the collection. Most of General Sam’s papers cover his life and career from 1970 until his death in 2017. This inventory, which spans more than 70 pages, includes notes on all of General Wilson’s correspondence, covering his world travel, teaching, and professional activities. His papers contain much discussion of politics, the military, and other important events that have taken place since Richard Nixon’s election as president.

In March, COVID-19 forced Hampden-Sydney College to cancel in-person classes and staff members were encouraged to work from home. Dr. Woodward took the opportunity to start a blog dedicated to the Wilson project. There you will find articles on General Sam, transcriptions of interesting and historic letters written by him and his family, and photographs from the collection. A recent update features government photos documenting the wartime experiences of Merrill’s Marauders in Burma in 1943 and 1944. All blog posts are free and available to the public.

In the spring, Dr. Woodward began an interview series on General Wilson, talking with those who knew Sam well. His first guest was Drew Prehmus ’08 who wrote the General’s one and only biography. Another guest has been Joe Galloway, author of We Were Soldiers Once and Young and a close friend of Sam’s. These podcast are available on the WordPress blog referenced above. Dr. Woodward is also getting the word out on the Wilson project. This summer, he wrote an article on the Wilson papers for the Society of American Archivists’ online publication Archival Outlook. He also wrote a piece on Wilson for the FarmvilleHerald. Although he was scheduled to present a paper on General Wilson at the Virginia Forum in September, the conference has been rescheduled for March 2021 due to the pandemic.