Obituary Prof. H. J. Hopkins

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 7

Obituary Prof. H. J. Hopkins

Professor Henry James Hopkins, a former dean of the engineering faculty at the University of Canterbury, died in Christchurch on Thursday. He was 73. Professor Hopkins was bom in Western Australia in 1912 and educated at Guildford Grammar School and the University of Western Australia. He graduated B.E. and B.Sc., and in 1934 went to Brasenose College, Oxford, on a Rhodes Scholarship. He graduated M.A.

While at Oxford he met his wife, Dorothy Trott. He also helped with the reconstruction of the Chelsea Bridge during one vacation. He joined the Air Ministry’s works department, then the bridge department of England’s southern railway, as an assistant engineer.

During world War H, Professor Hopkins served as a pilot with the R.A.F. He flew 52 missions in Halifax and Mosquito squadrons. He became a squadron leader and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.

For two years after the war Professor Hopkins was chief structural engineer for Courtaulds, Ltd, Coventry.

From 1948 he was senior lecturer in civil engineering at the University of Western Australia, until coming to Canterbury in 1951 as the head of the civil engineering department. He held that post until his retirement in 1977 and also served as dean of the engineering faculty from 1955 to 1958 and from 1964 to 1967.

In 1959, Professor Hopkins obtained Fullbright and Carnegie travel grants to take sabbatical leave at Cornell University in the

United States. In 1953 he was awarded the Fulton Gold Medal by the New Zealand Institute of Engineers. He was a member of the N.Z.I.E. council in 1957-58 and 1961 to 1968, and served as its president in 196667.

Professor Hopkins served on the Christchurch Post Primary Schools’ Council from 1955 to 1958 and the Canterbury University Council from 1962 to 1967. He was also a member of the Christchurch Boys’ High School board of governors and served as its chairman from 1963 to 1965.

He was a member of the Tangiwai Commission of Inquiry in 1954 and was chairman of the advisory panel for the Christchurch-Lyttel-ton road tunnel.

Professor Hopkins was a member of the Mineral Resources Council, the Concrete Sectional Committee of the Standards Association, and the Technical Advisory Committee of the

Concrete Research Association.

Professor Hopkins’s other ties with the University of Canterbury included being chairman of the university’s centennial committee in 1973, and designing the water tower which stands close to the civil engineering block. The university and the N.Z.I.E. created the annual “Hopkins Lecture” upon his retirement.

Professor Hopkins had several publications. The most noted was “A Span of Bridges, an Illustrated History,” which was published in 1970.

Professor Hopkins had been a director of the Natural Gas Corporation and was its chairman. He had also been active in sport. He represented Western Australia in hockey at various times from 1933 to 1951, was captain of the West Christchurch University cricket team in 1956, was a member and president of the Canterbury Cricket Supporters’ Club, and was the Northern Districts representative to the New Zealand Cricket Council to help gain its firstclass status.

Professor Hopkins was an avid bridge player and was vice-president of the Christchurch Contract Bridge Club from 1962 to 1963. He had a golfing handicap of 13 and was a member of the Russley club.

He was a member of Riecarton Rotary and was its president in 1977. He was also a member of the Canterbury Officers’ Club. Professor Hopkins was awarded the 0.8. E. in the 1980 New Year’s Honours List.

He is survived by four sons and a daughter.