Biography
A native of Idaho Falls, Hopkins attended the College of Idaho and graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with both bachelor and master's degrees in fine arts. He developed a strong interest in art history while serving in the Army as a photographer in Europe which would develop into a lifelong passion.
Hopkins entered the museum field in 1961 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and would go on to serve as the director of the Fort Worth Art Center Museum in Texas, and most notably the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art which he brought to national prominence during his tenure. During his long and illustrious career he also served as head of the Art Department and director of the Armand Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, and published extensively and lectured widely on zo" century art.
While he was recognized for his achievements throughout the world, his home was forever Idaho, finding refuge as a devoted fly fisherman at his cabin at Henry's Lake.