250th Anniversary Committee Organization
The Anniversary Committee is designing a program that recognizes and highlights the close connections between the founders of the College and the Nation and the ideas behind the creation of both. Programming will also seek to create an inclusive examination of the College’s history, exploring and revealing less well-known individuals whose contributions helped to build and sustain it. 250th Anniversary programming will give current and future Hampden-Sydney students a deeper understanding of the impetus for and context of our College’s founding period and how it applies to the present and the future of the Republic.
The 250th Anniversary celebration will highlight the continuing relevance of civic virtue which was the basis of the College’s mission “to form good men and good citizens,” as stated by the College’s first president, Samuel Stanhope Smith.
Over the next three years, there will be opportunities for students, alumni, friends, and community members to reflect on the continuing significance of the College’s founding mission and principles.
The 250th Anniversary is being planned and directed by a Steering Committee and four subcommittees.
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Student Scholarship
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Communications
The 250th Anniversary is being planned and directed by a Steering Committee whose Co-Chairs are:
- Elliott Professor of History Caroline Emmons
- Tommy Shomo ‘69
- Trustee Gene Hickok ‘71
Chaired by Shaunna Hunter, Director of Bortz Library, the Events Subcommittee is responsible for public lectures and symposia which will include a major three-day symposium in Fall 2025 to explore the historical context in which the College and the Nation were founded as well as the continuing importance of the liberal arts in promoting civic virtue.
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Student Scholarship
Chaired by Elliott Professor of History Caroline Emmons, the Academics and Student Scholarship Subcommittee responsible for anniversary activities, such as classes and field trips, which provide curricular and extracurricular opportunities for students.
Chaired by Elliott Professor of Religion Mike Utzinger, the Community Outreach Subcommittee is responsible for partnerships with organizations and groups outside the College to promote awareness of, cooperation with, and future relationships for Hamdpen-Sydney.
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Communications
Chaired by Tommy Shomo ’69, the Publications and Communications Subcommittee is responsible for publications related to the Anniversary with particular attention to creating a permanent record of anniversary programs and activities and for promoting the 250th Anniversary as an important and exciting celebration of the College’s founding and mission.