"This Considerate, Friendly Personality"

The rare and delightful qualities of President Hopkins as a human being made his leadership doubly effective and added affection to the admiration that all Dartmouth men felt for him. One of the best accounts of his character is the following, written by the late Prof. Leon Burr Richardson '00 at the time of Mr. Hopkins' 25th anniversary as President of the College:

Discussion of the character of President Hopkins would be incomplete, however, if consideration were not given to his intimate personal qualities. It is, indeed, in no small measure through these gifts of personality that his powers of leadership and vision are most directly made effective. ...

Sometimes he is regarded by his friends as a bit exuberant in his enthusiasm for certain men and measures, but seldom, when actual decisions of importance are to be made, is that enthusiasm allowed to stand in the way of the objective consideration of those questions. Sometimes he becomes discouraged, but his sense of balance and perspective is such that these periods of depression are not lasting. Sometimes he makes mistakes in his judgment of men, as, in particularly flagrant cases, he has been the first ruefully to admit, but in general that judgment is excellent. In particular, he possesses what might almost be described as a genius for detecting in persons qualities which no one else, least of all those men themselves, imagined that they possessed and in giving opportunity for the utilization of these qualities to the satisfaction and profit of all concerned. Sometimes he is antipathetic to personalities, but he is always the first to recognize merit, if it exists, in those who are uncongenial to him and, with meticulous care, to see that such merit is cherished by the institution, used to its full capacity, and granted a generous reward.

At the conclusion of the inaugural ceremonies in 1916, during which, both by his bearing and his utterances, he had done much to conciliate the opposition to him and strikingly to confirm the anticipations of those who had favored him for the office, General Streeter, who had had more to do with his selection than anyone else, in triumph at his success nevertheless affectionately warned the new President that one danger only stood in the way of real eminence — the danger that he should "get the bighead, become arrogant and fail in consideration to others." In truth, in no man was that danger less likely to be present or that warning less needed. Despite the flattering success which he has achieved, sufficient to turn the head of any man, he continues the simple, companionable, considerate, modest personality that he has always been. His keen sense of humor has always been an asset to him, nor is he annoyed by a joke at his own expense. With great gusto he tells the story of receiving an honorary degree at Yale. The solemn festivities were proceeding as scheduled and the President of Dartmouth was standing before President Angell to receive the distinction. At this moment an aged alumnus of Yale, in the front of the audience, was seized with a fit, with loud vocal accompaniments. In the uproar which he created, the ceremony had to be postponed until the unfortunate victim of the attack had been tenderly borne, all the time protesting loudly, from the hall. In the interim President Hopkins remarked to his brother President, "I am sorry to be the occasion of such irritation to one of your valued alumni." Whereupon President Angell retorted, "Very frequently we receive protests from our alumni at our judgment in the award of these degrees, but never has one come to us so vociferous, so emphatic, and so immediate as this."

So, for the last 25 years the leadership of the College has been in the hands of this considerate, sympathetic, friendly personality. Weary as he must often have been, no one who has brought to him a problem has ever been received without complete attention, sympathetic consideration, and thoughtful and well-considered judgment. Refusals he has often had to give, pet plans to discourage, personal ambitions to disappoint, for he is no soft or gullible administrator, but such refusals have never carried with them any measure of harshness, nor have they left any undeserved sting. Of him it may be truly said as it was said, whether truly or not, of one of his predecessors, "It is more delightful to differ with President Lord than to agree with other men."

Moreover, during these 25 years no one in the College family has accomplished anything of special merit without receiving from the President his meed of praise - discriminating, cordial, wellphrased and, above all, timely. No man more than he mastered the art of appreciation; no one is more skilled in its expression, without a trace of insincerity or flattery. It is difficult to estimate the effect upon the operation of the College of the renewed and intensive effort in the future which has come from his graceful recognition of effort in the past. No one who knows his personality and his achievements will dissent from the characterization acterizationof him made when he received the honors of Yale, "The mind of a scholar, the courage of a soldier, the heart of a boy....

Ernest Martin Hopkins with wise and far-sighted leadership has carried the College to heights undreamed of in former years. And with all that, possessed of a friendly, understanding, kindly personality, devoid of austerity - the "Hop" that we all know - he has become the figure in the College family to whom the respect, admiration and, most of all, the deep affection of us all have turned.

Mr. Hopkins, one year after his retirement, visits with his close friend, Prof.Leon Burr Richardson, on Baker's steps.