Hampden-Sydney College’s (H-SC) vice president for institutional advancement will be taking the reins of a four-year, coeducational residential college in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Dr. Herbert L. “Lee” King Jr., who is also a 1994 graduate of H-SC, has been appointed president of Lees-McRae College (L-MC), effective June 1, according to a recent Hampden-Sydney press release.

This will be the first time King has served as a college president, and as it is stated in the Lees-McRae press release on the L-MC website, King is the 16th president in the 118-year history of the college.

“This appointment is truly the most meaningful professional moment of my life,” King said. “I’ve built my career in preparation for a college presidency, and Lees-McRae is a perfect fit for me and my family.”

The Rev. Edgar Tufts founded Lees-McRae and served as its inaugural president from 1900-23, according to the L-MC website.

“Over a hundred years after its founding, Lees-McRae College continues in the vision of the Rev. Tufts, meeting the educational needs of the Southern Appalachian region and beyond,” school officials said on the L-MC website. “The college continues to fulfill its motto — in the mountains, of the mountains and for the mountains — while extending educational opportunities and service to diverse populations.”

As quoted in Hampden-Sydney’s press release, H-SC President Dr. Larry Stimpert expressed excited for King.

“This is a wonderful opportunity and achievement for our friend and colleague,” Stimpert said in the release. “I am grateful to Lee for his years of service to the

college, and I know the entire college community joins me in wishing him and his wife, Tammy, our best in this exciting next chapter for them and their family.”

School officials noted in the H-SC release that King “returned to his alma mater in 2011 from Hollins University, where he had previously served as vice president for external relations. During his tenure at Hampden-Sydney, the college has seen significant fundraising successes, including an all-time high in unrestricted giving in 2017, which was also the fourth-best fundraising year in college history.”

The release concluded by citing that Hampden-Sydney is currently developing plans for a search for King’s replacement as vice president for institutional advancement.

King said the opportunity for his becoming president of Lees-McRae came about when the school conducted a national search led by a professional firm which focuses on higher education leadership searches.

“I had conversations with their consultant and was convinced that it seemed to be a strong match for me personally and professionally,” King said. “From there, there were multiple interview steps along the way.”

In terms of what drew him to take on this particular challenge at Lees-McRae, King noted, “I am a strong believer in the transformative power of higher education, particularly the type of education that happens in a small environment like Lees-McRae or Hampden-Sydney. There is much about Lees-McRae that fits my personal view of how small colleges can make a big difference.”

He said L-MC has a strong focus on the mountains of North Carolina and serves a predominantly first-generation college student population.

“That is appealing to me because I, too, am a first-generation college student,” he said. “They also have some strong, niche academic and co-curricular programs that make the college stand out in the crowded marketplace of higher education.”

King expects his experience at Hampden-Sydney to aid him in his new role.

“My entire career — including my stops at Ferrum (College) and Hollins — has been focused on the small college environment,” he said. “Specifically from my time at Hampden-Sydney, I will take along a very strong affirmation that a dedicated and focused community creates the best environment for student growth and development to occur. What makes Hampden-Sydney special is the strong community, and I sense that Lees-McRae has the exact same environment.”