Former Duke Vice President Dies at Age 86

According to a Duke University press release, Hopkins died of cardiac arrest following a period of declining health.

Hopkins, who retired from Duke in 1981 as professor of higher education, joined the university in 1961 in the new position of vice president for institutional advancement and assistant provost. In 1963, Duke President Douglas M. Knight named Hopkins vice president for planning and institutional studies, responsible for assisting the president in the development of long-range plans for the university. Hopkins also was appointed professor of higher education.

In 1967, while on leave from Duke, Hopkins was appointed president of the National Laboratory for Higher Education, a position he held for five years. The lab was created by the federal government to help college administrators implement new teaching and management procedures. Following his term at the lab, Hopkins returned to Duke to teach.

Born in Linville, Ohio, Hopkins received a B.S. from Wittenberg University in 1934, a M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1935 and his LL.D. from Wittenberg in 1958. Prior to his appointment at Duke in 1961, Hopkins taught psychology at Wittenberg and Miami University until 1942.

Hopkins served in the Navy from 1942 until 1946, leaving as a lieutenant commander. Most of his Navy time was spent as director of personnel at the U.S. Navy Training Center at Farragut, Idaho.

From 1946 until 1951, Hopkins held various administrative positions at Washington State University. He moved to Washington University in St. Louis in 1951 as associate dean of faculties and was named assistant to the chancellor at Washington University in 1952 and vice chancellor for development from 1954 to 1961.

Hopkins is survived by his wife of 59 years, Bernice Brubaker Hopkins; three children: Jay E. Hopkins, of Lynchburg, Va.; David H. Hopkins of Chicago; and Richard A Hopkins of Providence R.I.; and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25 at Duke Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contribution to the Congregation at Duke Chapel, Box 90924, Durham, N.C. 27708, and to the Forest at Duke Benevolent Fund, 2701 Pickett Road, Durham, N.C. 27705.