Isaac S. Hopkins Papers

Isaac Stiles Hopkins was born in Augusta, Georgia on June 20, 1841. He graduated from Emory College in 1859 and from the Georgia Medical College in 1861. In 1861 he also joined the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and for eight years served as pastor of various churches, taking time to serve in the Confederate Army. From 1869 to 1875, he was professor of natural science at Emory, then taught physics for two years at the Southern University in Alabama. He returned to Emory in 1877, becoming vice president in 1882, and was named president in 1885. At Emory, he lobbied for the addition of an industrial component to the curriculum finally succeeding with the construction of the School of Technology at Emory in 1883. Despite this success, he remained discouraged by Emory's lack of support. However, this action, combined with his avocational interest in technological work, led to his appointment as president of the fledgling Georgia School of Technology in 1888. While serving as Georgia Tech's president, he also taught in the School of Physics and served as pastor of the Merritts Avenue Methodist Church from 1890 to 1894. He resigned from the Georgia Tech presidency in 1896 to become pastor of the First Methodist Church of Atlanta. Hopkins died on February 3, 1914.