Union-Philanthropic Society
Encyclopedia
College literary societies (American)
College literary societies in American higher education were a distinctive kind of social organization, distinct from literary societies generally, and they were the precursors of college fraternities and sororities. In the period from the late eighteenth century to the Civil War, collegiate...
at Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia.
For over two centuries, the Union-Philanthropic Society has offered Hampden-Sydney a unique forum for discussion. Whether debating the ethics of slavery — in 1810 — or discussing the various views of the historical Jesus — in 1996 — the Society has continually provided the College with an unparalleled source for the oratorical and literary improvement of her sons.
Rather than narrowly focus on a single subject, the Society has long complemented the College's liberal curriculum by addressing topics from a variety of issues. Each week, the Society analyzes a different item from literature, politics, or the arts. The Society's exercises quickly train its members to think clearly, argue coherently, and speak forcefully on any topic.
The oldest student organization at the College and the second-oldest literary society
Literary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of literature or a specific writer. Modern literary societies typically promote research about their chosen author or genre, publish newsletters, and hold...
in America (the oldest being the American Whig-Cliosophic Society
American Whig-Cliosophic Society
The American Whig–Cliosophic Society is a political, literary, and debating society at Princeton University and the oldest debate union in the United States...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, it is, in fact, the oldest continuously-existing such society in America. It dates from 1789. Edward Henry, the son of Virginia's greatest orator, and William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
, the ninth president of the United States, were among its early members. Yet the society has never been simply a student organization, and its influence has never stopped at the College gates. Men from all backgrounds, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
to Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, have been awarded — and have accepted — honorary membership.
The Union-Philanthropic Society faces the future confident in its traditions but cognizant of the need for innovation. While reinforcing its ancient emphasis on private discussion among its members, the Union-Philanthropic is now exploring new arenas for public discussion, including debates, round-table talks between faculty and students, activities with the women's colleges in the region, and hosting guest lecturers.
Membership in the Society is an honor which is bestowed upon students who demonstrate an interest in public discussion, a thirst for learning, a friendly manner, and good character. The Society summons several men to become members each term.
Regalia
The Union Society:
- Name: The Union Society (Concordiæ Societas)
- Established: September 22, 1789
- Motto: Me Socium Summis Adjungere Rebus ("I Wish to Ally Myself With the Greatest Things")
- Colors: The badge should be displayed with the emblem in silver (or white) with a light blue background
- Badge: The Union Society badge incorporates elements from the Society's history: the fasces, stars, quills, and scroll
The Philanthropic Society:
- Name: The Philanthropic Society (Fraternitas Philanthropica)
- Established: March 1805, re-established 1807
- Motto: Aude Sapere ("Dare to Be Wise")
- Colors: The badge should be displayed in gold on a dark green background
- Badge: Includes: an eagle, scroll, and star
Current Officers of the UPLS
- Mr. Neil Winston Smith (President)
- Mr. Alexander Cartwright (First Reviewer)
- Mr. Joshua Shelton (Second Reviewer)
- Mr. Kyle Gilbert (Clerk)
- Mr. Will Carter (Treasurer)
- Dr. James Simms, Jr. (Critic)
Notable Honorary Members
- Patrick HenryPatrick HenryPatrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
- Edward HenryEdward HenrySir Edward Richard Henry, 1st Baronet GCVO KCB CSI KPM was the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 1903 to 1918....
- Joseph Carrington Cabell
- William Cabell RivesWilliam Cabell RivesWilliam Cabell Rives was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat from Albemarle County, Virginia. He represented Virginia as a Jackson Democrat in both the U.S. House and Senate and also served as the U.S. minister to France....
- Powhatan EllisPowhatan EllisPowhatan Ellis was a United States Senator from Mississippi and a United States federal judge.Born at "Red Hill" in Amherst County, Virginia, he graduated from Washington Academy in 1809, attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1809 and 1810, receiving an A.B., and studied law at...
- John Peter MettauerJohn Peter MettauerJohn Peter Mettauer was an American surgeon and gynecologist born in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He was the son of surgeon Francis Joseph Mettauer....
- Andrew HunterAndrew HunterAndrew Hunter may refer to:*Andrew Hunter , Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland*Andrew Hunter , British politician and a member of the Orange Order...
- William Ballard PrestonWilliam Ballard PrestonWilliam Ballard Preston was a United States political figure. He served as the U.S. Secretary of the Navy between 1849 and 1850...
- Hugh A. Garland
- Landon C. GarlandLandon Garland-Biography:He graduated with first honors from Hampden-Sydney College in 1829. He taught chemistry and natural philosophy at Washington College , c1829-1830, and taught chemistry and natural history at Randolph-Macon College, 1833-1834, eventually being elected chair of the department. In 1837, he...
- Thomas Watkins LigonThomas Watkins LigonThomas Watkins Ligon , a Democrat, was the 30th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1854 to 1858. He also a member of the United States House of Representatives, serving Maryland's third Congressional district from 1845 until 1849...
- Sterling PriceSterling PriceSterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
- John TylerJohn TylerJohn Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
- Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
- John W. StevensonJohn W. StevensonJohn White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
- John C. CalhounJohn C. CalhounJohn Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
- Thomas Salem Bocock
- Robert Lewis DabneyRobert Lewis DabneyRobert Lewis Dabney was an American Christian theologian, a Southern Presbyterian pastor, and Confederate Army chaplain. He was also chief of staff and biographer to Stonewall Jackson. His biography of Jackson remains in print today.Dabney and James Henley Thornwell were two of Southern...
- Henry ClayHenry ClayHenry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
- Roger Atkinson PryorRoger Atkinson PryorRoger Atkinson Pryor was both an American politician and a Confederate politician serving as a congressman on both sides. He was also a jurist, serving in the New York Supreme Court, a lawyer, and newspaper editor...
- Louis Phillipe, roi de France
- James BuchananJames BuchananJames Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
- Philip Watkins McKinney
- Richard A. McIlwaine
- Franklin PierceFranklin PierceFranklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
- Stephen A. DouglasStephen A. DouglasStephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
- William Makepeace ThackerayWilliam Makepeace ThackerayWilliam Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
- Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
- Jefferson DavisJefferson DavisJefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
- Robert E. LeeRobert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
- P. G. T. BeauregardP. G. T. BeauregardPierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...
- Alexander Lee Bondurant
- Alfred J. Morrison
- Adlai Stevenson
- Esther Thomas "Mrs. P.T." Atkinson
- Samuel Vaughan Wilson
- George F. Will
- Thomas P. O'Neill
- Anthony G. Galasso, Jr.
- Philip TerzianPhilip TerzianPhilip Terzian is an American journalist and has been Literary Editor of The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine in Washington, D.C. since February 2005...
Other American collegiate Literary Societies
- The Philoclean SocietyPhiloclean SocietyThe Philoclean Society at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey is one of the oldest collegiate literary societies in the United States, and among the oldest student organizations at Rutgers University...
, Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American... - The Franklin Debating Society, Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon CollegeRandolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
- The Jefferson Literary and Debating SocietyJefferson Literary and Debating SocietyThe Jefferson Literary and Debating Society is a debating and literary society at the University of Virginia. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest organization at The University and one of the oldest continuously existing debating societies in North America....
, The University of Virginia - The Peithologian SocietyPeithologian SocietyThe Peithologian Society was an undergraduate literary organization at Columbia University. It was founded in 1806, four years after Columbia's first literary group, the Philolexian Society, by freshmen who were disenfranchised by Philolexian's requirement that its members be upperclassmen...
, Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the... - The Philomathean Society, The University of Pennsylvania
- The Philolexian Society, Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
- The Union Philosophical SocietyUnion Philosophical SocietyThe Union Philosophical Society or UPS is the seventh oldest collegiate organization in the United States, and one of the three oldest literary societies. Founded at Dickinson College in 1789, it took the white rose and the Roman goddess Minerva as its primary symbols...
, Dickinson CollegeDickinson CollegeDickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly... - The Philodemic SocietyPhilodemic SocietyThe Philodemic Society is a student debating organization at Georgetown University. It was founded in 1830 by Father James Ryder, S.J., in whose honor an award is given every Spring at the Merrick Debate. The Philodemic is among the oldest such societies in the United States and is the oldest...
of Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States... - The Union-Philanthropic (Literary) Society of Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney CollegeHampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
- The American Whig-Cliosophic SocietyAmerican Whig-Cliosophic SocietyThe American Whig–Cliosophic Society is a political, literary, and debating society at Princeton University and the oldest debate union in the United States...
, Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... - The Phi Kappa Literary SocietyPhi Kappa Literary SocietyThe Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
, University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... - The Demosthenian Literary SocietyDemosthenian Literary SocietyThe Demosthenian Literary Society is a debating society at The University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. It was founded in 1803 by the first graduating class of the University's Franklin College. The society was founded on February 19, 1803 and the anniversary is celebrated now with the Society's...
, University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... - The Elizabethan ClubElizabethan ClubThe Elizabethan Club is a social club at Yale University named for Queen Elizabeth I and her era. Its profile and members tend toward a literary disposition, and conversation is one of the Club's chief purposes....
, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States... - The Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
- Philanthropic Society, Davidson CollegeDavidson CollegeDavidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...