Peter V. Sampo (1931[1] – 27 May 2020[2]) was an educator and college president. He was a founder of three colleges and was first president of two Catholic liberal arts colleges with curricula built on Great Books of Western culture, Magdalen College[3][4] (now Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts) and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts,[5] both in New Hampshire. He served as president emeritus of Magdalen College until his death on 27 May 2020.[2]

Life and career

Peter V. Sampo made his undergraduate studies at Saint Vincent College and earned the Ph.D. in political science at Notre Dame.[6]

In 1974, Sampo, together with former high-school teacher John Meehan and businessman Francis Boucher, founded Magdalen College in Bedford, New Hampshire (now Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in Warner, New Hampshire).[4][7][8]

Sampo was president of Magdalen from 1974 until 1977, when he left to start Cardinal Newman College in Missouri.[9] After Cardinal Newman College closed for financial reasons in 1985,[10] he began work on Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire, offering a four-year liberal arts curriculum inspired by educators Donald and Louise Cowan.[5] He served as president of Thomas More until 2006.

In 2009 he founded the Erasmus Institute of Liberal Arts, a liberal arts school in Canterbury, New Hampshire offering the Cowan curriculum formerly used at Thomas More College. In 2011, its students joined The College of Saint Mary Magdalen in Warner, New Hampshire along with Sampo and other faculty when the college agreed to offer the Cowan curriculum.[11]

He died on 27 May 2020, after receiving last rites from the Magdalen College chaplain, Fr. Roger Boucher.[2]

Honors

In 2007 the New England Board of Higher Education gave Sampo its "Higher Education Excellence" award.[12][13]

The CiRCE Institute for classical education designated Sampo the 2008 winner of its Paideia Prize, named in honor of historian Russell Kirk.[6][14]

References

  1. ^ The Death of a Founder: Peter V. Sampo (1931-2020), Requiescat in Pace, ThomasMoreCollege.edu, at Internet Archive Wayback Machine, accessed 11 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Magdalen.edu, Requiescat in pace, Peter V. Sampo, Ph.D., accessed 28 May 2020.
  3. ^ "College History". Magdalen College. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13.
  4. ^ a b Mary Jo Weaver (1995). Being Right: conservative Catholics in America. Indiana University Press. p. 310. ISBN 0253209994.
  5. ^ a b Mary Jo Weaver (1995). Being Right: conservative Catholics in America. Indiana University Press. p. 315. ISBN 0253209994.
  6. ^ a b "Dr. Peter Sampo". CiRCE Institute.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ John Moorehouse (November 12, 2003). "Magdalen College celebrates 30th anniversary". Catholic Exchange.
  8. ^ On Names: Eliot, Shakespeare, and the Beauty of Old Names: A Letter from President Harne to Students, Families, Alumni, and Friends, neccollege.wpengine.com, accessed 12 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  10. ^ "Cardinal Newman College". North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
  11. ^ "Erasmus Institute Joins the College of Saint Mary Magdalen (press release)". College of Saint Mary Magdalen. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  12. ^ "New Hampshire School, Ed Leaders Win New England Higher Education Excellence Awards (press release)". New England Board of Higher Education. January 27, 2007.
  13. ^ Lisa Brown (February 1, 2007). "Concord community briefs". The Hippo (newspaper).
  14. ^ "Selected Activities and Events: 2008" (PDF). Permanent Things (Newsletter). Russell Kirk Center. Fall 2008.

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