Peter V. Sampo Explained

Peter V. Sampo (1931^[1] – 27 May 2020^[2]) was an educator and college president. He was a founder of three colleges in total. Two of the colleges, of which he also served as the first president, were Catholic liberal arts colleges with curricula built on Great Books of Western culture, namely Magdalen College^{[3] [4]} and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts,^[5] both in New Hampshire.

Life and career

Peter V. Sampo made his undergraduate studies at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania and earned a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

In 1974, Sampo, together with former high-school teacher John Meehan and businessman Francis Boucher, founded Magdalen College in Bedford, New Hampshire.^{[4] [6] [7]} Sampo was president of Magdalen from 1974 until 1977, and served as president emeritus of Magdalen College until his death on 27 May 2020.

In 1977, he left to start Cardinal Newman College in Missouri,^[8] which closed for financial reasons in 1985.^[9]

He then 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. 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 Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts along with Sampo and other faculty when the college agreed to offer the Cowan curriculum.^[10]

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.^{[11] [12]}

The CiRCE Institute for classical education designated Sampo the 2008 winner of its Paideia Prize, named in honor of historian Russell Kirk.^{[13] [14]}

External links

• Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts faculty page

Notes and References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20200611194633/https://thomasmorecollege.edu/2020/05/the-death-of-a-founder-peter-v-sampo-1931-2020-requiescat-in-pace/ The Death of a Founder: Peter V. Sampo (1931-2020), Requiescat in Pace
2. Magdalen.edu, Requiescat in pace, Peter V. Sampo, Ph.D., accessed 28 May 2020.
3. Web site: College History . Magdalen College . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100613225101/http://www.magdalen.edu/aboutus/collegehistory2.asp . 2010-06-13.
4. Book: Mary Jo Weaver. Being Right: conservative Catholics in America. Indiana University Press. 310. 1995. 0253209994.
5. Book: Mary Jo Weaver. Being Right: conservative Catholics in America. Indiana University Press. 315. 1995. 0253209994.
6. Web site: Magdalen College celebrates 30th anniversary. Catholic Exchange. John Moorehouse. November 12, 2003.
7. https://neccollege.wpengine.com/on-names-eliot-shakespeare-and-the-beauty-of-old-names/ On Names: Eliot, Shakespeare, and the Beauty of Old Names: A Letter from President Harne to Students, Families, Alumni, and Friends
8. Web site: Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
9. Web site: Cardinal Newman College. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
10. Web site: Erasmus Institute Joins the College of Saint Mary Magdalen (press release). College of Saint Mary Magdalen. October 8, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927181845/http://www.magdalen.edu/news-events/news-details.asp?niID=25. September 27, 2011. dead.
11. Web site: New Hampshire School, Ed Leaders Win New England Higher Education Excellence Awards (press release). New England Board of Higher Education. January 27, 2007.
12. News: Concord community briefs. Lisa Brown. The Hippo (newspaper). February 1, 2007.
13. Web site: Dr. Peter Sampo. CiRCE Institute.
14. Permanent Things (Newsletter). Selected Activities and Events: 2008. Russell Kirk Center. Fall 2008.