Dr. Larry Hopkins, Professor Beth Hopkins Honored as Wake Forest’s 2023 ACC UNITE Award Recipients
10/18/2023 11:00:00 AM | Football, General
The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's Committee for Racial and Social Justice created in June 2020 to support the ACC's commitment to social justice and racial equity.
CHARLOTTE -- The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the winners of the third-annual ACC UNITE Award, which was created to honor individuals affiliated with the league who have made an impact in the areas of racial and social justice. Professor Beth Hopkins and her late husband, Dr. Larry Hopkins, are the Demon Deacons' two honorees this year, as they are true trailblazers in the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem community.
The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE - Champions of Racial Equity) and was developed and approved by its 15 member institutions. C.O.R.E was created in June 2020 to support the ACC's commitment to social justice and racial equity. Members of C.O.R.E. include conference office staff members and campus representatives from each of the league's 15 institutions. C.O.R.E.'s mission is to promote and encourage inclusion, racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy.
The UNITE Award is presented annually to individuals who:
• Best exemplify ACC CORE's mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy;
• Have helped create meaningful, lasting change by improving systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes;
• Have been a pioneer and/or helped pave the way for minorities either at the institution or in the community
In the first year of the award in 2021, the league celebrated the individuals who – according to available information – were the first male and female athletes of color to integrate the athletic teams at each current ACC institution. Wake Forest's honorees were Robert Grant and Kenneth "Butch" Henry (1964, football), and Keeva Jackson and Sonya Henderson (1981, women's basketball). Grant and Henry were the first Black football student-athletes to enroll at a Division I institution in the South.
In the second year, Jim Caldwell (football) and Charlene Curtis (women's basketball) were the Demon Deacons' two honorees, as they were the first male and female black head coaches in ACC history in their respective sports.
Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie:
"As a charter member of the ACC, Wake Forest University is proud to participate in this effort to annually honor trailblazers at each institution. Beth Hopkins and her late husband, Dr. Larry Hopkins, personify the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University. Their kindness and class resonated throughout our community and they charted a course that improved the lives of tens of thousands in our community. With Dr. Hopkins honored as Medallion of Merit honoree a few years ago and Beth as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open two months ago, these are just two of the latest examples of recognition for their lifelong impact on others."
Dr. Larry Hopkins, Football
In his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Hopkins was a two-time all-conference selection and led the Deacons to their first back-to-back winning seasons since joining the ACC. Hopkins still holds the single-season program rushing record with 1,228 yards during the 1971 campaign. He also set a then school record of 111.6 yards rushing per game.
A 1989 inductee into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and Wake Forest's 2010 ACC Football Legend, Hopkins was not only a trailblazer on the field, but off the field as well. In 1972, he became the first African-American to graduate from Wake Forest with a degree in chemistry. After declining a contract from the New England Patriots, Hopkins enrolled in the Wake Forest School of Medicine where he earned his degree in 1977.
Prior to beginning his obstetrics and gynecology practice in Winston-Salem in 1983, Dr. Hopkins completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and served our country as an officer in the United States Air Force for two years. During that period, he rose through the military ranks to Major in the Medical Corps.
Dr. Hopkins legacy of service included co-directing the Women's Health Center in Winston-Salem. The Center focused on improving prenatal care and reducing infant mortality, and dramatically raised the level of healthcare for African-American women in Winston-Salem. Dr. Hopkins delivered thousands of babies in Winston-Salem including Wake Forest & NBA Legend Chris Paul who told Hopkins that he was one of the children Dr. Hopkins delivered during his 30-plus year career in medicine.
Dr. Hopkins was the recipient of Wake Forest's 2020 Medallion of Merit citation for his compassionate, expert care as a beloved physician, valued role model and teacher for hundreds of students in our Medical School.
He joined Wake Forest's School of Medicine as an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in 1996. In addition to volunteer work with many community and professional organizations, Dr. Hopkins served on Wake Forest's Alumni Council, Board of Visitors, and since 1986, on the Board of Trustees. In 1987, Dr. Hopkins received the Distinguished Alumni Award for his service to the University, the field of medicine and the Winston-Salem community.
Professor Beth Hopkins
Professor Muriel "Beth" Hopkins was recently honored as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open. Hopkins was selected by USTA Southern, the largest of the USTA sections.
She received a major award from the Wake Forest School of Law in 2016 with the naming of the pro bono summer stipend in her honor, and she received the William & Mary Law School Association's 2018 Citizen Lawyer Award, its highest recognition, given annually to a law graduate who has made a lifetime commitment to citizenship and leadership.
Hopkins, who was the school's first Black homecoming queen and among the first Black females living in the campus residence halls, earned her bachelor's degree in East Asian History in 1973 from Wake Forest and a jurisprudence degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law in 1978.
At Wake Forest, Hopkins served in the legal department including counsel. She also worked in positions in the Department of History, American Ethnic Studies and Professor of Practice in the Department of History and in the School of Law. During this period, she also took on the role of Director of Outreach in the School of Law. Hopkins was instrumental in developing courses and initiating and overseeing the Pro Bono and Public Initiative Programs within the School of Law.
About the ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 70th year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. The ACC currently sponsors 27 NCAA sports – 14 for women and 13 for men – with member institutions located in 10 states. Women's gymnastics will become the league's 28th sponsored sport in the 2023-24 academic year. In August 2019, ESPN and the ACC partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports and league-wide original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 5 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 56 conference titles and one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective
Academically, Wake Forest is a nationally comprehensive university that includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest holds campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing academic offerings across the southeast.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE - Champions of Racial Equity) and was developed and approved by its 15 member institutions. C.O.R.E was created in June 2020 to support the ACC's commitment to social justice and racial equity. Members of C.O.R.E. include conference office staff members and campus representatives from each of the league's 15 institutions. C.O.R.E.'s mission is to promote and encourage inclusion, racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy.
The UNITE Award is presented annually to individuals who:
• Best exemplify ACC CORE's mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy;
• Have helped create meaningful, lasting change by improving systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes;
• Have been a pioneer and/or helped pave the way for minorities either at the institution or in the community
In the first year of the award in 2021, the league celebrated the individuals who – according to available information – were the first male and female athletes of color to integrate the athletic teams at each current ACC institution. Wake Forest's honorees were Robert Grant and Kenneth "Butch" Henry (1964, football), and Keeva Jackson and Sonya Henderson (1981, women's basketball). Grant and Henry were the first Black football student-athletes to enroll at a Division I institution in the South.
In the second year, Jim Caldwell (football) and Charlene Curtis (women's basketball) were the Demon Deacons' two honorees, as they were the first male and female black head coaches in ACC history in their respective sports.
Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie:
"As a charter member of the ACC, Wake Forest University is proud to participate in this effort to annually honor trailblazers at each institution. Beth Hopkins and her late husband, Dr. Larry Hopkins, personify the Pro Humanitate spirit of Wake Forest University. Their kindness and class resonated throughout our community and they charted a course that improved the lives of tens of thousands in our community. With Dr. Hopkins honored as Medallion of Merit honoree a few years ago and Beth as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open two months ago, these are just two of the latest examples of recognition for their lifelong impact on others."
Dr. Larry Hopkins, Football
In his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Hopkins was a two-time all-conference selection and led the Deacons to their first back-to-back winning seasons since joining the ACC. Hopkins still holds the single-season program rushing record with 1,228 yards during the 1971 campaign. He also set a then school record of 111.6 yards rushing per game.
A 1989 inductee into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and Wake Forest's 2010 ACC Football Legend, Hopkins was not only a trailblazer on the field, but off the field as well. In 1972, he became the first African-American to graduate from Wake Forest with a degree in chemistry. After declining a contract from the New England Patriots, Hopkins enrolled in the Wake Forest School of Medicine where he earned his degree in 1977.
Prior to beginning his obstetrics and gynecology practice in Winston-Salem in 1983, Dr. Hopkins completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and served our country as an officer in the United States Air Force for two years. During that period, he rose through the military ranks to Major in the Medical Corps.
Dr. Hopkins legacy of service included co-directing the Women's Health Center in Winston-Salem. The Center focused on improving prenatal care and reducing infant mortality, and dramatically raised the level of healthcare for African-American women in Winston-Salem. Dr. Hopkins delivered thousands of babies in Winston-Salem including Wake Forest & NBA Legend Chris Paul who told Hopkins that he was one of the children Dr. Hopkins delivered during his 30-plus year career in medicine.
Dr. Hopkins was the recipient of Wake Forest's 2020 Medallion of Merit citation for his compassionate, expert care as a beloved physician, valued role model and teacher for hundreds of students in our Medical School.
He joined Wake Forest's School of Medicine as an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in 1996. In addition to volunteer work with many community and professional organizations, Dr. Hopkins served on Wake Forest's Alumni Council, Board of Visitors, and since 1986, on the Board of Trustees. In 1987, Dr. Hopkins received the Distinguished Alumni Award for his service to the University, the field of medicine and the Winston-Salem community.
Professor Beth Hopkins
Professor Muriel "Beth" Hopkins was recently honored as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open. Hopkins was selected by USTA Southern, the largest of the USTA sections.
She received a major award from the Wake Forest School of Law in 2016 with the naming of the pro bono summer stipend in her honor, and she received the William & Mary Law School Association's 2018 Citizen Lawyer Award, its highest recognition, given annually to a law graduate who has made a lifetime commitment to citizenship and leadership.
Hopkins, who was the school's first Black homecoming queen and among the first Black females living in the campus residence halls, earned her bachelor's degree in East Asian History in 1973 from Wake Forest and a jurisprudence degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law in 1978.
At Wake Forest, Hopkins served in the legal department including counsel. She also worked in positions in the Department of History, American Ethnic Studies and Professor of Practice in the Department of History and in the School of Law. During this period, she also took on the role of Director of Outreach in the School of Law. Hopkins was instrumental in developing courses and initiating and overseeing the Pro Bono and Public Initiative Programs within the School of Law.
About the ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 70th year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. The ACC currently sponsors 27 NCAA sports – 14 for women and 13 for men – with member institutions located in 10 states. Women's gymnastics will become the league's 28th sponsored sport in the 2023-24 academic year. In August 2019, ESPN and the ACC partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports and league-wide original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 5 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 56 conference titles and one of only seven ACC schools to win 10 or more national championships, along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State. Additionally, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which includes 1.3M residents and was ranked as ESPN's seventh-best market from a viewership perspective
Academically, Wake Forest is a nationally comprehensive university that includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest holds campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing academic offerings across the southeast.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
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