Origin

John J. Hopkinson at Vibtech
 

The John J. Hopkinson Memorial Scholarship was initiated in 2006, using proceeds of a memorial fund established by his wife, Beverly A. Stringer, on the occasion of his death. The John J. Hopkinson Memorial Scholarship was created with two objectives: (1) To provide assistance to Webb students selected on the basis of academic performance, character, and financial need; and (2) To perpetuate the memory of John J. Hopkinson at Webb Institute, and extend his legacy of generosity and support of Webb students.

The scholarship will be awarded in each year that the balance of the Hopkinson Memorial Fund exceeds $5,000. The scholarship, in the amount of $500, will be awarded to a Webb freshman and credited at the beginning of his/her sophomore year.

Biographical Summary

John Hopkinson was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on July 14, 1939. He grew up around Great Lakes shipping, and upon graduating high school, he entered the marine industry as a Designer/Engineer at American Shipbuilding Company. John took a wide variety of college courses throughout his early career, covering subjects as diverse as psychology, human resources, mathematics and engineering; he received his BS in Business/Engineering from Upsala College in 1976. Much of his knowledge of structural design, dynamic analysis and naval architecture was self-taught – not particularly difficult for a member of Mensa who had natural artistic talent, an affinity to complex technical problems, and a passion for devising innovative solutions through the “outside-the-box” application of basic scientific principles. For the first 25 years of his career John held increasingly responsible positions in several leading ship design firms, including J. J. Henry Company, George G. Sharp Co., Gibbs & Cox, Giannotti & Associates, and Designers & Planners. He then founded Vibtech, Inc., and served as its President and Senior Engineer for 22 years. While sometimes appearing to be singularly focused on his work, he was a great outdoorsman and frequently made time for hunting and fishing trips. He was also active in his church community. He died on February 22, 2005 in Alexandria, Egypt while working on a project.

Connection with Webb Institute

Throughout his long career in the ship design community, John was a friend, professional colleague, and mentor of many Webb students and graduates. Although not a Webb graduate himself, John found that he had much in common with the Webbies he met: a dedication to the fields of ship design and engineering, a commitment to professional excellence, a desire to innovate and push the boundaries of technology, and an unwavering work ethic. As a result, John enjoyed working on projects with Webbies. And when, as President of Vibtech Inc., he had the opportunity to hire full-time or part-time staff, Webbies were always his candidates of choice. He particularly liked to hire Webb interns, because he felt he could have a significant positive influence on their professional future. But working for or with John was seldom limited to a professional relationship. To work with John was to become a member of his extended family. He imparted values like a father, and shared the highs and lows of professional experiences like a brother.

John Hopkinson – Engineer, innovator, teacher, friend. All who knew him became better for that experience. The Hopkinson Memorial Scholarship extends John’s legacy of helping Webb students to those who will never have the opportunity to know him personally. And the Hopkinson Memorial Fund is a fitting tribute to John, by providing Webbies whose lives he touched with the opportunity to support the next generation of engineering professionals, just as he did throughout his life.

The first John J. Hopkinson Memorial Scholarship was then presented to Jonathan Dowsett ’09 by Beverly Stringer, the scholarship founder.