Witherspoon, Smith named the college for two English champions of liberty, John Hampden (1594–1643) and Algernon Sydney (1622–1683). Hampden lost his life in the battle of Chalgrove Field during the English Civil War. Sydney, who wrote Discourses Concerning Government, was beheaded by order of Charles II following his (unproven) implication in a failed attempt to overthrow the king.
=== Presidents ===
The following is a list of the Presidents of Hampden–Sydney College from its opening in 1775 until the present.
== Academics ==
Hampden–Sydney enrolls approximately 1,000 students from 30 states and several foreign countries and emphasizes a rigorous, traditional liberal arts curriculum.
=== Rankings ===
U.S. News & World Report ranked Hampden–Sydney #98 in its 2022 rankings of the top National Liberal Arts Colleges.
Forbes awarded Hampden–Sydney with an "A" grade in its 2016 Forbes College Financial Grades; an evaluation methodology designed to "measure the fiscal soundness of nearly 900 four-year, private, …
