Isaac Stiles Hopkins was a former professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 and the first President of Georgia Tech

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...

 (1888 - 1896) as well as pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

 of the First Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

.

Biography

Hopkins was born in Augusta, Georgia

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

. He graduated from Emory College

Emory College

Emory College may refer to:* , an academic division of Emory University, located in DeKalb County, Georgia, USA, in the Atlanta area* Oxford College of Emory University, a two-year residential college of Emory University located in Oxford, Georgia, USA....

 in 1859, and from Georgia Medical College in 1861. He returned to Emory to teach natural science

Natural science

The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...

, and then physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

 at Birmingham-Southern College

Birmingham-Southern College

Birmingham–Southern College is a 4-year, private liberal arts college located three miles northwest of downtown Birmingham. Founded in 1856, it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Approximately 1400 students from 30 states and 23 foreign countries attend the college...

(then known as Southern University), before returning to Emory and becoming vice president in 1882 and president in 1885.

Hopkins' interest in technological development led him to be chosen as the president of Georgia Tech, then called the Georgia School of Technology, in 1888. He was the first chair of the physics department where he also concurrently served as a professor in the School of Physics, and as a pastor of the First United Methodist Church. Hopkins resigned from Georgia Tech in 1896 to serve the church full time.

Legacy

One of the two pillars comprising the Haygood-Hopkins Memorial Gateway, informally known as Emory University's "front door," is named for Hopkins. The pillar's inscription says of Hopkins, "A pioneer in technical education, he was one of the builders of the New South." It was dedicated in 1937.