Tom Hopkinson

Sir Thomas Hopkinson (19 April 1905 – 20 June 1990) was a British journalist, picture magazine editor, author, and teacher.

Early life

Born in Manchester, his father was a Church of England clergyman and a scholar, and his mother had been a school mistress. Hopkinson attended prep school on the Lancashire coast and then St Edward's School, Oxford. He went on to graduate from Pembroke College, Oxford University in 1927.

Early work

Tom Hopkinson first worked in advertising and publicity, then became a magazine assistant editor in 1934. He was soon working for Stefan Lorant on Weekly Illustrated magazine, and wrote short stories and novels during his free time. He also assisted Lorant on Lilliput magazine, and more famously on Picture Post magazine from 1938-40. When Lorant left permanently for America in July 1940, Hopkinson became editor of Picture Post, from 1940-50. His most famous hire was photojournalist Bert Hardy, a native Londoner with great skills in conveying the drama and character of human scenes.

Middle career

Hopkinson defended his staff's editorial independence fiercely, and his publisher, Sir Edward G. Hulton, a Conservative Party member for most of his career, did not always appreciate Hopkinson's left-wing views, which affected Picture Post more strongly than the occasional right-wing views which also found their way into that magazine.

While working for the Picture Post in the Congo, Hopkinson reportedly saved a man's life by standing over him to prevent a mob beating the man to death.^[1]

In October 1950, after photojournalist Bert Hardy and writer James Cameron returned to London from their Korean War coverage, Hopkinson tried to go to press with their coverage of United Nations atrocities in Pusan. Hulton stopped the presses, fearing that coverage would "give aid and comfort to the enemy". Hopkinson persisted and Hulton sacked him. During the next six and one-half years, Picture Post was led by a revolving door of editors, many of whom did not do well for the magazine, which had been the leading picture magazine in Britain during World War II and for at least five years thereafter.

Hopkinson's next notable assignment was as editor of South Africa's Drum magazine, which he took over in 1958. His notable find there was the South Africa photojournalist Peter Magubane, who covered the anti-apartheid struggle.

Later career

When Hopkinson left Drum, he went on to teach journalism in British universities and studied United States journalism schools. In 1969 he was in Malta advising on the setting up of a Journalism Course. He was founding director of the Centre for Journalism Studies at University College in Cardiff, Wales, from 1970 to 1975. Later, he returned to Oxford. He continued his habit of writing short stories, novels, and also wrote a memoir, Of This Our Time, about his life from 1905 up to 1950. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978.

Family life

Hopkinson married three times, his wives were: Antonia White, Gerti Deutsch (a photojournalist working at the Picture Post), and Dorothy Hopkinson. He was the father of three children: Lyndall Hopkinson Passerini, Nicolette Hopkinson Roeske, and Amanda Hopkinson.

Other works

Hopkinson also co-authored with his last wife Dorothy Much Silence [Gollancz, 1974], a biography of Meher Baba, of whom he and Dorothy were devotees for many years.^[2] Having met him in London in 1952, they were considerably influenced by him. Lady Hopkinson (died August 1993) and Tom later rewrote and expanded this work as a larger version, The Silent Messenger: The Life & Work of Meher Baba, which was completed but apparently never published.^[3]

References

Further reading

• Of This Our Time: A Journalist's Story, 1905-50, by Tom Hopkinson, London: Hutchinson, 1982.
• The Picture Post Album, by Robert Kee, London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1989.