The Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest

"Love your country. Don’t ever, ever stop loving your country. In the whole wide world we’ve got the best system there is for a man to work out his own destiny. But the system is not on automatic pilot. We have to work to make it work. Don’t forget that . . . We count on you as young men of awesome promise to do what is necessary and what is right to keep us strong and keep us free.”

LT. General Samuel Vaughan Wilson
Hampden-Sydney College Commencement Address - May 11, 1997

You never know where you will run into a Wilson Leadership Fellow…. including the heart of Africa. Last week in Livingstone, Zambia, Dr. Hillen and Carter Spawn '25 met each other by lucky coincidence in their summer travels. Here they reenact a famous other meeting in Zambia, the finding of renowned British explorer Dr. David Livingstone by American journalist Henry Morton Stanley, who had been sent out from New York to find the presumed dead Livingstone. They met with the famed words, “Dr. Livingstone, I Presume!"

Wilson Fellow, Jack Corbin '26 visited France to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.

Oklahoma Man Visits France To Commemorate 80th Anniversary Of D-Day Landings As many veterans visit the Normandy beaches in northern France on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Jack Corbin from Oklahoma is returning to reflect on the past.

Today, let us remember the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers who took part in D-Day.
80 years ago - June 6, 1944

On Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the courageous individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Their selflessness will always be remembered, and their spirit remains etched in our hearts.

We are excited to announce that the Pepperdine School of Public Policy is expanding to the nation's capital with our new Master of Public Policy Washington, DC, Track! Students will now have the opportunity to finish their degree while living in the heart of political decision-making and action.

The launch of this program is a decisive step in realizing our vision as a bicoastal MPP program, which will provide students a unique learning experience taking them from the coast to the capital.

All Wilson Fellows, National Securities Studies Minors, and Leadership in the Public Interest Minors were recognized at the 2024 Wilson Center Banquet. Special recognition was given to our graduating seniors, they have made their impact on campus and will be missed!

Dr. John Eastby and Dr. Curt Smith were each awarded a James Madison Award at a special reception and dinner with the Wilson Center Board of Advisors. The James Madison Award is given annually to a friend of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest who exemplifies outstanding contributions to civic welfare. Two awards were given this year to recognize Dr. Eastby and Dr. Smith’s dedicated service to the Wilson Center.

It is with great sorrow that we convey the news that Dr. James Young Simms passed away on the evening of Thursday, April 25th, 2024. Dr. Simms was a legendary figure at Hampden-Sydney, making a tremendous impact on the college during his 56 years as a faculty member in the history department, our first soccer coach, and long-time teaching Fellow at the Wilson Center. As faculty emeritus, he remained engaged at the college, and especially at the Wilson Center, for many years following his retirement from full time teaching. Dr. Simms’ impact on his students, the college as a whole, and the Wilson Center in particular is immeasurable. Through his life and work he embodied the college’s mission of “forming good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning” as well as the center’s purpose of “preparing men of character for lives of consequence.” Among his many educational awards, he was honored by the Wilson Center in 2020 with the James Madison Award for outstanding contributions to the civic welfare.

A private graveside service will take place on the campus of Hampden Sydney. A memorial service will follow at a later date. We will keep the Wilson Center community informed as those plans develop.

Dr. James Young Simms Obituary 2024 - Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory View Dr. James Young Simms's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

Please consider making a gift of any size to the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest. Your support for the Wilson Center isn't just a contribution; it's a vital investment in nurturing the capable and principled leaders of tomorrow.

Make your gift at https://bit.ly/3VtEt6k or Venmo .

We’re just one week away from Giving Day on April 25-26! Every gift, regardless of size, plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our students and the College. Let’s unite in making a positive impact that honors our legacy of excellence and propels the College into a bright future!

Thanks to Staff Sergeant Morgan Maddox for coordinating a visit to Fort Barfoot's Leadership Reaction Course for our Junior Fellows.

The Center for Public History and the Wilson Center planned a trip for fellows in the Society of '91 to Montpelier. This trip is the second in the series of visits and introductions to our Country's Founders. Meet America's Founders trips are made possible by donations from members of the James Madison Society.

Covering American Politics in Tumultuous Times
with Jonathan Martin '99
Wednesday, April 10 | Crawley Forum | 7PM

Pre-law and Wilson Center students met with Attorney General Miyares at the Attorney General Office in Richmond yesterday. Students also heard from Adam Hade '20 and Ian Lichacz '22 who both work in the Attorney General Office.

We are so proud of Ian Novak '23!

Two Batten students have been elected to top leadership positions at UVA. Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez is the incoming Student Council president and third-year Batten student. Ian Novak is a Batten graduate student and the next Honor Committee vice chair for the graduate community. Read more: https://batten.virginia.edu/about/news/two-batten-students-elected-top-leadership-positions

Last week, Connor Eickelman ’24, Finlay Lee ’24, Carter Spawn ’25, Chase Crowder ’26, and Joe Kreutzer ’26 represented Hampden-Sydney College’s Wilson Center and traveled to Topeka, Kansas to compete in Washburn University’s 14th annual Leadership Challenge Event. Our team was one of 15 college teams from 13 colleges and universities who competed in an experiential leadership simulation. Students assumed leadership roles in public works, public health, education, nonprofit, and law enforcement as they created plans to respond to a winter storm emergency in the fictional city of Metropolis. They interacted with members of the Topeka community and were graded on 11 distinct aspects of leadership. The Hampden-Sydney men took home a lot of hardware, placing 2nd overall and winning the Collaboration Award and Emerging Leader Award.

A few of our bright future leaders recently attended the Law, Ethics and National Security Conference at Duke Law School.

The Society of ‘91 attended an etiquette dinner hosted by Tommy Shomo ‘69.

LINCOLN AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF
CANCELED

https://sites.duke.edu/lawfire/2024/02/03/shortbursts-hampden-sydney-visit-lens-conference-update-and-more/

Shortbursts: Hampden-Sydney visit, LENS Conference update, and more! Shortbursts is an occasional feature of Lawfire® designed to provide short news pieces or updates on a variety of matters. Terrific visit to Hampden-Sydney College On Thursday, February 1, I had th…

We had a packed house in Crawley Forum last night. Major General Charles J. Dunlap, Jr. spoke about the law of war and 21st century conflicts.

We had a great night with our fellows at the Welcome Back Event. Juniors lead an ethical decision game that they created.

Cainan Townsend, Executive Director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum presented to our freshmen fellows on leadership in diverse context.

Our junior fellows came back to campus early to participate in a two day adaptive leadership workshop.

George Langhammer ’24 A superb scholar-athlete and highly motivated citizen, George Langhammer ’24 understands what it means to get involved and make a difference.

This past weekend the Wilson Center and Hampden-Sydney College were well represented at the 2023 Reagan National Defense Forum. The conference, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, featured the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 25 prominent members of Congress, Ambassadors, and other national security luminaries.

Among the delegates invited to the conference were Dr. John Hillen, Wheat Professor in Leadership at The Wilson Center and Michael Daum, ‘23, winner of the Wilson Center’s James Simms award. Here they are pictured with former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper underneath AirForce One at the Reagan Library.

The Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest is committed to nurturing future principled leaders who possess character, values, and the ability to inspire others. Join us today by supporting these leaders!

No matter the size, your gift will contribute to the success of important programs and initiatives that allow the College to produce compassionate, competent, and principled leaders who will create a positive impact.

Please consider making a gift to the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest at https://bit.ly/47tczKI or via Venmo .