HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton University celebrated more than 100 years of academic excellence, social change, and cultural preservation over the weekend during its 132nd Founders Day Weekend celebration.
Students, faculty, alumni, and local leaders gathered in Ogden Hall to honor the contributions of those who have called Hampton University home. Notable alumni included four-star General Xavier Brunson, who served as this year’s keynote speaker.
Brunson reflected on his emotional connection to the institution.
“If you look right up the block here, that’s where I got commissioned—my dad pinned my rank on me for the first time. So many sentimental events have happened for me here,” he said.
Since its founding in 1868, the university has flourished while never forgetting its humble beginnings. General Samuel Chapman Armstrong established the school after the Civil War to provide newly freed men and women with educational opportunities.
Arthur Howe III, Armstrong’s great-grandson, spoke on the legacy of his ancestor.
“There was a tiny school in place, and he revitalized that school in several ways into what is an incredible institution right now,” Howe said. “He was a tradition of public service to others; that was the catalyst. He believed deeply in humanity.”
On Sunday, the celebration also marked the re-opening of the Hampton University Museum, established in 1868. The museum houses over 12,000 African, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander artifacts.
Brunson expressed pride in the museum’s transformation.
“That used to be the library, and for them to take the library and make it a world-class museum speaks not only to the university’s view on its own history but also to the fact that it’s preserving things for the state of Virginia and for the nation,” he said.
While looking back on the university's rich history, Howe noted that further progress is still needed.
“He would say that we’ve done a lot, but we still have a long way to go,” he added.
