William Thomas Lopp
Encyclopedia
William Thomas Lopp known better professionally as W. T. Lopp, and to his family as Tom Lopp, was a member of the Overland Relief
Expedition in Alaska
, then a U.S. territory. He was a missionary and advocate of turning native hunters into self-sufficient reindeer herders. Lopp Lagoon
, an 18 mi. long bay near where Lopp lived in Alaska, is named after him.
William Thomas Lopp was born June 21, 1864 to Jacob C. and Lucinda Trotter Lopp at Valley City, Indiana
.
He earned a B.A. at Indiana's Hanover College
in 1888.
, Alaska
to teach at a mission school. After marrying Ellen Louise Kittredge in 1892, he and his wife continued to teach and learn Eskimo
languages and Eskimo lifestyles. Seeing that Eskimo food sources were endangered by the encroachments of the burgeoning American and Canadian fishing industry, Lopp promoted reindeer
herding among the native Alaskans as an alternative means of subsistence. In 1892 reindeer were brought over from Siberia
and a "reindeer station" was established, with Lopp as superintendent.
, USA in 1902, but continued involvement in Alaskan native education and reindeer herding for 34 more years, holding a variety of government and private industry positions.
During his career Lopp established sixty-six schools, five hospitals and sanitation systems, and increased prosperity in the coastal villages of northern Alaska. Lopp died on April 10, 1939, survived by his wife Ellen and their seven surviving children.
Overland Expedition
The Overland Relief Expedition, also called the Alaska Relief Expedition or Point Barrow-Overland Relief Expedition, was an expedition in the winter of 1897-1898 by officers of the United States Revenue Cutter Service to save the lives of 265 whalers trapped in the Arctic Ocean by ice around their...
Expedition in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, then a U.S. territory. He was a missionary and advocate of turning native hunters into self-sufficient reindeer herders. Lopp Lagoon
Lopp Lagoon
Lopp Lagoon is a tidal lake NE of Cape Prince of Wales in the U.S. state of Alaska. Many creeks empty into it, but the most water comes from the Mint River...
, an 18 mi. long bay near where Lopp lived in Alaska, is named after him.
William Thomas Lopp was born June 21, 1864 to Jacob C. and Lucinda Trotter Lopp at Valley City, Indiana
Valley City, Indiana
Valley City is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Harrison County, Indiana....
.
He earned a B.A. at Indiana's Hanover College
Hanover College
Hanover College is a private liberal arts college, located in Hanover, Indiana, near the banks of the Ohio River. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The college was founded in 1827 by the Rev. John Finley Crowe, making it the oldest private college in Indiana. The Hanover...
in 1888.
Alaska
In 1890 Lopp moved to Cape Prince of WalesCape Prince of Wales
Cape Prince of Wales is the westernmost point on the mainland of the Americas.Located on the Seward Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska near the city of Wales, Cape Prince of Wales is the terminus of the Continental Divide, marking the division between the Pacific and Arctic coasts, as well as...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to teach at a mission school. After marrying Ellen Louise Kittredge in 1892, he and his wife continued to teach and learn Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
languages and Eskimo lifestyles. Seeing that Eskimo food sources were endangered by the encroachments of the burgeoning American and Canadian fishing industry, Lopp promoted reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
herding among the native Alaskans as an alternative means of subsistence. In 1892 reindeer were brought over from Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and a "reindeer station" was established, with Lopp as superintendent.
Seattle, Washington
Lopp moved his family to Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA in 1902, but continued involvement in Alaskan native education and reindeer herding for 34 more years, holding a variety of government and private industry positions.
During his career Lopp established sixty-six schools, five hospitals and sanitation systems, and increased prosperity in the coastal villages of northern Alaska. Lopp died on April 10, 1939, survived by his wife Ellen and their seven surviving children.
Appointments
- 1904–1909 Superintendent of government schools (Native) and reindeer, northern district, of Alaska.
- 1910–1923 Chief of the Alaska division of the U.S. Bureau of Education.
- 1923–1925 Superintendent of education of Natives of Alaska.
- 1925–? Reindeer expert for Hudson’s Bay Company.
Books about Lopp
- In a Far Country: The True Story of a Mission, a Marriage, a Murder, and the Remarkable Reindeer Rescue of 1898. by John Taliaferro. PublicAffairs (November 30, 2006)
- Ice Window: Letters from a Bering Strait Village 1898-1902. by Kathleen Lopp-Smith. University of Alaska PressUniversity of Alaska PressThe University of Alaska Press is a nonprofit scholarly publisher and distributor of works concerning Alaska, the northern Pacific Rim, and the circumpolar regions. It is associated with the University of Alaska. The press was formally founded in 1989 but had existed somewhat informally for...
(February 1, 2002)
Books by Lopp
- White Sox : the story of the reindeer in Alaska. by William Thomas Lopp; H Boylston Dummer. Publisher: Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y. : World Book, 1924.
- Schools conducted by the United States government. by Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
; William Thomas Lopp; United States. Navy Dept.; United States. Indian School Service. Publisher: [S.l. : s.n.], 1913.