Hampden-Sydney president to retire next year

Hampden-Sydney College President Larry Stimpert will retire at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, the men’s private college announced Monday.

Stimpert has been president since 2016 and overseen significant fundraising during his tenure, including doubling HSC’s endowment to exceed $300 million. He also led multiple capital projects over the past decade, including construction of the Pauley Science Center.

“Having studied at a small liberal arts college, having professors who helped shape me meaningfully and having spent years working at such an institution has helped drive the progress we’ve made over the last decade,” said Stimpert, who called his presidency “the greatest professional privilege I could have ever asked for.”

He started his academic career as an economics professor at Colorado College and was an economics and management professor and vice president of academic affairs at Indiana’s DePauw University before joining Hampden-Sydney.

Stimpert led a $400 million fundraising campaign for the college’s 250th anniversary, and this academic year he plans to focus on fundraising for facilities enhancements and increasing access to scholarships at the school. In November 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers minority owner Rob Citrone, and his wife, Cindy, donated more than $50 million to Hampden-Sydney for a full-tuition scholarship program, the school’s largest ever gift.

According to the school’s announcement, the executive search firm WittKieffer is identifying candidates for Stimpert’s successor, who will become Hampden-Sydney’s 26th president.