Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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y WJULUAM l HENRY Hzlmaulsow IEIIDIICATII DN 6550 the memory of 5571 wl1o,being' possesse cl Q of lauclable amb1t1on ancl unbounclecl i SClf'COl l'l:1dCI'lC6, in of SCTV' , ice, probably luelcl more ofbces of trust and responsibility tl'1an any other - man our country has produced. E ' an W ose memory t e g'en- I., X ,Ms f5,., ex-ations will not cease to ok . I . . . I I ,O QI 'V LIL cberxsb 1n prlde, rever- Al , ,Wu .W WH rg-Q,-.,v ,4,Tff'f1..n 41 if-:stiff ff -, '- ' ence, and l1onor. ff C1 Q , f o 'K Q5 at 1 - f--. t f, R , Q:. b Q42 I. -. Q

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BOOK BOOK BOOK BOOK BOOK BOOK CCNUFIENTFS . College . .Classes . Q14 tkletics fraternities Cffctivities . ffeatures COLLEOE HBO Y

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'WILLIAM HENRY HARRIISUN CV? AMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE enjoys the honor of having trained the mind and of having instilled the principles of liberty and equity into one of the chief executives of these United States. Wfilliam Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States, was born at Berkeley, in Charles City County, February 9, 1773. He was the third and youngest son of Governor Benjamin Harrison, a man who most effectually aided those better known today in carrying his native state and country through the trying storm and stress period of her history. The son proved himself, as the years passed away, of his father's mertle. About 1787, as yet merely a lad of fourteen years, the subject of our sketch entered Hampden-Sydney College. If superficially considered, it would seem quite remarkable that one so young was sent off to college. This seems, however, to have been the custom in the good old days of rhe eighteenth century, when men lived to act, not to study. The cause was very probably twofold. First, educational advantages in most of the counties were not good, and second, the curricula of the colleges were not then above those of our academies. One other interesting question arises in this connection. Why did Governor Harrison choose Hampden-Sydney, in the western southside, in preference to William and Mary, especially since Berkeley was but a few hours' ride from Williamsburg? Ir may have been due to the weighty infiuence of John Blair Smith, who so ably directed affairs at the college during these years. It may have been that Governor Harrison was influenced to become a patron of the young, vigorous college to the westward by his friends, many of whom were on the Board of Trustees, for surely a school that boasted Patrick Henry as a director was one to be trusted. As to his college life we know nothing, as almost no record has been preserved. I dare say he lived the happy life of a Hampden-Sydney boy. I dare say that often, as he sat through rhe long, dreary winter days beside the comfortless campfire, waiting for the In- dians to come up and be whipped, his heart returned to his friends on the Hill, and that he longed to be a careless college boy once again. The death of his father seems to be responsible, very largely, for the future career of the young man. He immediately left his medical studies, which he was then pursuing, and in a few months more was in the great Northwest Territory-encamped at Fort Wash- ington, where Cincinnati now stands. 'Exirartnl from a .fl-Nth iwriilrn by ll'. ll. T. .Vquin '05, and pulwfiilmi in Vol. I'I of Ihr Kalfidosropf,