What is Hampden-Sydney Known for?
Founded in 1775, Hampden-Sydney is the tenth oldest college in the country and the second oldest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The College is known for its Honor Code, which states that students will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. It is because of this Honor Code that students feel free to leave bags and books unattended in the library or the cafeteria. Because professors trust their students, professors will rarely proctor an exam, choosing instead to attend to other items in their office while students complete an exam. Hampden-Sydney is also known for its Rhetoric Program, which is a reflection of the mission articulated by the school’s first President, Samuel Stanhope Smith. Smith, a Valedictorian of Princeton University, aimed to model Hampden-Sydney after his alma mater, but with a “greater emphasis upon the cultivation of the English language than is usually done in places of public education.” Smith’s goal lives on today as all Hampden-Sydney men learn to e
