As we approach the 250th anniversary of the College’s founding, which will occur during the 2025-26 academic year, a 250th Anniversary Committee is developing and implementing a plan to commemorate, document, and celebrate the founding of Hampden-Sydney College with the additional goal of raising the stature of the College regionally and nationally.
Join us as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of Hampden-Sydney‘s founding with special programs, fine arts performances, museum exhibits, field trips, classes, and research projects exploring the historical and intellectual foundations of the College.
Join us as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of Hampden-Sydney‘s founding with special programs, fine arts performances, museum exhibits, field trips, classes, and research projects exploring the historical and intellectual foundations of the College.
ROSEN Text
New York Times best-selling author Jeffrey Rosen presented the 2024 Founders Commemoration Speech. Author of “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Rosen examines the meaning of happiness as understood by the Founding Fathers: “Today we think of happiness as the pursuit of pleasure. But classical and Enlightenment thinkers defined it as the pursuit of virtue—as being good, rather than feeling good. At its core, the Founders viewed the pursuit of happiness as a lifelong quest for character improvement…they believed that personal self-government was necessary for political self-government.” In other word, to be good citizen one must first be a good man. Watch the recording on YouTube