Cross & Crescent

As the nation celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, Paul S. Trible Jr. (Hampden-Sydney 1968) made the decision to run for Congress. Against all odds and only 29 years old, Trible found himself running as a Republican in a district that had never elected a Republican candidate to Congress.

He won, and was elected to the 95th Congress. Trible was relected in 1978 and again in 1980. In 1982, he gained a four-year seat in the Senate.

At only 39 years old, Trible was at the pinnacle of his political career when he did the unthinkable — he retired from politics all together.

The Court Room

After graduating from Hampden-Sydney in 1968, Trible enrolled in law school at Washington & Lee University. Following graduation in 1971, he clerked for federal judge Albert Brian in the Eastern District of Virginia — a court known for having the highest case load in the country.

But Trible wanted more and soon became an assistant U.S. attorney, and was again faced with heavy case loads. This provided Trible with immediate trial experience

“I tried my first major felony within 10 days of taking the oath and had 78 major felony convictions in the next 15 months,” says Trible. “I was in court virtually every day.”

He took his courtroom experience and academic credentials to Essex County in eastern Virginia, where he was first appointed and later elected the Commonwealth’s attorney.

Making it to The Hill

In 1976 he won his seat in Congress. As one of 435 members of the House of Representatives, Congressman Trible served his constituents and tried to make a difference in society. However, he realized he could make a greater impact if he were to become one of 100 members of the United States Senate.

Rather than running for a fourth term in a district that had consistently supported him, Congressman Trible became a candidate for the United States Senate. Once again, Trible found himself running against the national tide.

Even though Republicans had recaptured the Presidency and the U.S. Senate in the 1980 elections, 1982 proved a much more difficult year for Republican candidates nationwide. Nevertheless, Congressman Trible was elected to the Senate in 1982 when he defeated a popular lieutenant governor in the general election.

Given his young age and proven ability to win difficult elections, observers in Virginia and the rest of the nation likely viewed Senator Trible as a possible candidate for even higher office in the future.

Senator Trible worked hard, mindful of the important tasks that came with his office. Although he never lost his desire to serve the public, the young Senator re-evaluated his desire to remain in elective politics.

“When all is said and done, a U.S. senator is one member of a very large committee and the Senate moves at a glacial pace; sometimes with few results,” he says.

In 1988, after six years of service in the U.S. Senate for a total of 12 years of service in Congress, Trible shocked Virginia voters by announcing he would not run for re-election.

Trible’s next challenge presented itself in the form of another leadership opportunity. In 1996, Trible became president of Christopher Newport University.

A Chance to Shape And Define

In 1960, Christopher Newport University was only a two-year branch of the College of William & Mary. It wasn’t until 1976 that it became a four-year college, the same year Trible first ran for Congress. Located in the heart of his Congressional district, it is only fitting that Trible became the school’s president years later.

“When you think about the role of a university president, it involves a lot of the experiences and skills one must develop in the world of politics,” says Trible. “You have to be the vision keeper. You have to, through words and action, create excitement, energy, and a sense of direction.”

As the world moved into the 21st century, colleges and universities across the nation were faced with greater demands and fewer resources. Budget shortfalls affected university funding. Trible determined that CNU would need to give up certain programs rather than diminishing the quality of all programs with across-the-board cuts.

Despite these obstacles, CNU has become stronger under his leadership. In addition to the impressive student population the university has attracted, the school is in the midst of a $500 million capital campaign.

With this success, Trible is in what he terms the happiest season of his life. He has the opportunity to dream, and an opportunity to engage “a marvelous generation of young people.”

President Trible is proud of the fact that Christopher Newport University offers students close attention with small classes taught by professors, and not teaching assistants. Indeed, nearly 90 percent of the faculty members at CNU hold their Ph.D.

Trible has also welcomed a role for Greek institutions at the university, and has held regular meetings with Greek leaders to offer them his assistance and to check up on their progress.

Student interest is also up, rising from 1,000 to 7,000 applicants. And they are smart, too, with the student body SAT average climbing by 200 points. Despite these handsome accomplishments, CNU and its president are striving for more.

“We have an opportunity to shape and define a university for the ages,” Trible proclaims.

In a state that hosts some of the finest educational institutes in the nation, that is no small challenge. Thanks to his proven record of facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, Trible may be the ideal person to lead the University as it establishes a reputation for excellence.

Collegiate Leader

Trible’s qualifications for such a challenge can be traced back to lessons he learned during his own collegiate experience.

Trible matriculated at Hampden-Sydney College in the fall of 1964. The all-men’s college provided a long recruitment process, allowing the young men to become well-acquainted with the various fraternities and their fellow rushees.

Trible and 20 other young men connected during this process, and decided they would all join the same fraternity. They decided on Lambda Chi Alpha and would become a strong force on the Hampden-Sydney campus.

“Our class, over the course of four years, became a group of movers and shakers on the campus,” Trible remembers. “It was a great group of young men. We had a lot of fun, but we worked hard as well and we did well academically.”

Trible was very active in the chapter’s recruitment program, served on the Student Senate, and pursued a rigorous course of studies in arts and sciences.

Teamwork, Leadership, and Results

“The lessons I learned in college and through the fraternity experience about teamwork, leadership, getting good results, and seeing the best in people were lessons that one shapes in college and those are lessons that, I think, are enriched by the experience of being in a fraternity,” he says.

His fraternal experience also gave Trible the opportunity to work with fraternity brothers with different strengths, as well as different ideas and insights. These experiences served Trible well in his professional life. His career has taken him from working with Washington politicians to interacting with college youth.

Trible regularly sees his fraternity brothers at Hampden-Sydney reunions and is glad to know that friends of his son have joined the chapter.

Trible constantly carries the lessons he learned from Lambda Chi Alpha with him. Lambda Chi taught Trible about leadership, honor, and civic engagement; about getting good results and seeing the best in people. His successes as a student, an attorney, a member of Congress, and as leader of a university show that he learned those lessons well, and is eager to share them with others.