Hopkins, Mark (1802-1887), was a famous American educator. He began his career as a professor at Williams College in 1830. He served as president of the college for 36 years, from 1836 to 1872. Hopkins used diagrams and models to illustrate his views on humanity and nature. He also encouraged students to form their own opinions by questioning his opinions. One of Hopkins’s students was United States President James A. Garfield. Garfield described what he considered the ideal college when he said, “Give me a log hut, with only a simple bench, Mark Hopkins on one end and I on the other.” Hopkins also was president of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions from 1857 until his death. Hopkins was born on Feb. 4, 1802, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He died on June 17, 1887.
