Drury Lacy (October 5, 1758 – December 6, 1815) was a vice president and the acting president of

Hampden–Sydney College Hampden–Sydney College (H-SC) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Men's colleges in the United States, college for men in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. Founded in 1775, it is the oldest privatel ...

from 1789 to 1797.

Biography

Lacy was the youngest child born in 1758 to William Lacy (1713–1775), a farmer, and Elizabeth Rice (1715–1770), both of New Kent,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Lacy lost one of his hands as an adolescent and, as a result, spent his time studying the classical languages. In 1781 was offered the position of tutor at

, which he accepted, serving in that capacity for some time; he studied theology under the preceptorship of Dr.

John Blair Smith John Blair Smith (June 12, 1756 – August 22, 1799) was born in Pequea, Pennsylvania, Pequea, Pennsylvania Colony, the son of the Rev. Robert Smith, who ran a celebrated academy there. Like his older brother, John Blair Smith was valedictorian o ...

, president of Hampden–Sydney, was licensed to preach in September, 1787, and ordained in October, 1788, in which year he was elected vice president of the college. Upon Dr. Smith's resignation, in

1791 Events January–March * January 1 – Austrian composer Joseph Haydn arrives in England, to perform a series of concerts. * January 2 – Northwest Indian War: Big Bottom Massacre – The war begins in the Ohio Count ...

, Lacy succeeded to the presidency, filling that position until 1797, when he tendered his resignation, which was accepted. He was the first Virginia-born president of Hampden–Sydney. Lacy graduated several notable alumni from Hampden–Sydney. In 1789 he graduated William H. Cabell, Governor of Virginia and judge of Virginia Court of Appeals; and in 1791, U.S. Congressman James Jones, Kentucky Governor and Secretary of Treasury

George M. Bibb George Mortimer Bibb (October 30, 1776 – April 14, 1859) was an American lawyer and politician and the seventeenth United States Secretary of the Treasury. He was chief justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and twice represented Kentucky as ...

, and

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

President

Moses Waddel Moses Waddel (June 20, 1770 – July 21, 1840) was an American educator and minister in antebellum Georgia and South Carolina. Famous as a teacher during his life, Moses Waddel was author of the bestselling book ''Memoirs of the Life of Miss C ...

. During the remainder of his life he devoted his time and attention to supplying neighboring churches and also taught a classical school. Lacy also served as moderator of the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1809, and as clerk of the Hanover Presbytery during the greater part of his ministry. He died in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, December 6, 1815. Lacy's son, Drury Lacy, Jr. was the third president of

Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...

in Davidson,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacy, Drury 1758 births 1815 deaths Presidents of Hampden–Sydney College 18th-century American writers 18th-century American male writers 19th-century American writers Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers University and college founders People from Chesterfield County, Virginia Moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America