WFU to Host Dedication Ceremony for Hopkins Residence Hall
10/21/2025 10:00:00 AM | General
The University celebrates a legacy of leadership
On Saturday, Oct. 25, Wake Forest will celebrate the renaming of South Residence Hall to Hopkins Residence Hall in honor of Larry and Beth Hopkins, two trailblazing alumni with deep ties to the University and Winston-Salem. The program begins at 10 a.m.
The announcement of the naming of Hopkins Hall was made at the Feb. 2025 Founders Day Ceremony. Additionally, this video celebrates a legacy of leadership in honor of Larry and Beth Hopkins.
Community members are welcome to attend the Homecoming Weekend event at South Hall (2555 Jasper Memory Lane). The ceremony will include:
The celebration will be livestreamed, and content will be shared on Wake Forest University platforms after the event.
Dr. Larry Hopkins ('72, '77)
In his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Dr. Larry Hopkins was a two-time All-ACC selection who helped lead the Demon Deacons to their first back-to-back winning seasons since joining the conference. A star running back, Larry still holds Wake Forest's single-season rushing record with 1,228 yards during the 1971 campaign and set a then-school record of 111.6 rushing yards per game.
A 1989 inductee into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and the University's 2010 ACC Football Legend, Larry was not only a trailblazer on the field but also in the classroom. In 1972, he became the first Black student to graduate from Wake Forest with a degree in chemistry. A true Double Deac, he later earned his medical degree from the Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1977.
After declining a contract offer from the New England Patriots, Larry pursued medicine full-time. He completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and served as an officer in the United States Air Force for two years, rising to the rank of Major in the Medical Corps.
Upon returning to Winston-Salem, Dr. Hopkins began his obstetrics and gynecology practice in 1983 and co-directed the Women's Health Center, which focused on improving prenatal care and reducing infant mortality rates among African-American women. Over his 30-plus-year medical career, Dr. Hopkins delivered thousands of babies—including future NBA star Chris Paul—and became a beloved figure in the Winston-Salem community for his compassionate and expert care.
He joined the Wake Forest School of Medicine as an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in 1996, mentoring hundreds of medical students. His service to Wake Forest extended well beyond the classroom, as he served on the Alumni Council, Board of Visitors, and the University's Board of Trustees beginning in 1986.
Larry received numerous honors for his service and leadership, including the 1987 Distinguished Alumni Award and the University's highest honor, the Medallion of Merit, in 2020—recognizing his lifetime of care, mentorship, and dedication to Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community.
Professor Muriel "Beth" Norbrey Hopkins ('73)
Muriel "Beth" Norbrey Hopkins was one of the first two Black female residential students at Wake Forest University and the first Black woman to live in Bostwick Residence Hall. A history-making student-leader, she was named Wake Forest's first Black Homecoming Queen in 1971 and graduated cum laude in 1973 with a degree in East Asian History.
Beth returned to Wake Forest in the 1980s to work in the University's legal department and to teach an undergraduate course on race and the courts. Over the years, she also served in the Department of History, American Ethnic Studies, and later as a Professor of Practice in the School of Law and the Department of History.
In 2010, Beth joined the Wake Forest School of Law to lead its pro bono and public interest initiatives as the inaugural director of the Smith Anderson Center for Community Outreach. She played a vital role in developing courses and creating opportunities for law students to engage in meaningful community service through the Pro Bono and Public Interest Programs.
Her leadership and commitment to justice have been recognized both locally and nationally. In 2016, Wake Forest Law named its pro bono summer stipend in her honor, and in 2018, she received the William & Mary Law School Association's Citizen Lawyer Award—the school's highest honor.
Beyond the legal and academic spheres, Beth has been deeply involved with the United States Tennis Association, where she has done extensive work advancing diversity and inclusion in the sport. In 2023, she received the Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award and was recognized as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open.
A recipient of the 2023 Wake Forest Distinguished Alumni Award, Professor Beth Hopkins continues to embody the University's motto, Pro Humanitate, through her lifelong dedication to equity, education, and community impact.
2023-24 ACC UNITE Award Recipients
Back on Oct. 18, 2023, the Atlantic Coast Conference 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, were the Demon Deacons' two honorees that year.
The UNITE Award is presented annually to individuals who:
South Hall was originally named for its geographic location on the south side of campus. It opened in the fall of 2010 and was the first LEED-certified residence hall on Reynolda Campus.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 59 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded medicine school, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
The announcement of the naming of Hopkins Hall was made at the Feb. 2025 Founders Day Ceremony. Additionally, this video celebrates a legacy of leadership in honor of Larry and Beth Hopkins.
Community members are welcome to attend the Homecoming Weekend event at South Hall (2555 Jasper Memory Lane). The ceremony will include:
- Performances by the Wake Forest Gospel Choir
- Remarks by President Susan R. Wente, Beth Hopkins and special guests
- Building Tours
The celebration will be livestreamed, and content will be shared on Wake Forest University platforms after the event.
Dr. Larry Hopkins ('72, '77)
In his two seasons in Winston-Salem, Dr. Larry Hopkins was a two-time All-ACC selection who helped lead the Demon Deacons to their first back-to-back winning seasons since joining the conference. A star running back, Larry still holds Wake Forest's single-season rushing record with 1,228 yards during the 1971 campaign and set a then-school record of 111.6 rushing yards per game.
A 1989 inductee into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and the University's 2010 ACC Football Legend, Larry was not only a trailblazer on the field but also in the classroom. In 1972, he became the first Black student to graduate from Wake Forest with a degree in chemistry. A true Double Deac, he later earned his medical degree from the Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1977.
After declining a contract offer from the New England Patriots, Larry pursued medicine full-time. He completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and served as an officer in the United States Air Force for two years, rising to the rank of Major in the Medical Corps.
Upon returning to Winston-Salem, Dr. Hopkins began his obstetrics and gynecology practice in 1983 and co-directed the Women's Health Center, which focused on improving prenatal care and reducing infant mortality rates among African-American women. Over his 30-plus-year medical career, Dr. Hopkins delivered thousands of babies—including future NBA star Chris Paul—and became a beloved figure in the Winston-Salem community for his compassionate and expert care.
He joined the Wake Forest School of Medicine as an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in 1996, mentoring hundreds of medical students. His service to Wake Forest extended well beyond the classroom, as he served on the Alumni Council, Board of Visitors, and the University's Board of Trustees beginning in 1986.
Larry received numerous honors for his service and leadership, including the 1987 Distinguished Alumni Award and the University's highest honor, the Medallion of Merit, in 2020—recognizing his lifetime of care, mentorship, and dedication to Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community.
Professor Muriel "Beth" Norbrey Hopkins ('73)
Muriel "Beth" Norbrey Hopkins was one of the first two Black female residential students at Wake Forest University and the first Black woman to live in Bostwick Residence Hall. A history-making student-leader, she was named Wake Forest's first Black Homecoming Queen in 1971 and graduated cum laude in 1973 with a degree in East Asian History.
Beth returned to Wake Forest in the 1980s to work in the University's legal department and to teach an undergraduate course on race and the courts. Over the years, she also served in the Department of History, American Ethnic Studies, and later as a Professor of Practice in the School of Law and the Department of History.
In 2010, Beth joined the Wake Forest School of Law to lead its pro bono and public interest initiatives as the inaugural director of the Smith Anderson Center for Community Outreach. She played a vital role in developing courses and creating opportunities for law students to engage in meaningful community service through the Pro Bono and Public Interest Programs.
Her leadership and commitment to justice have been recognized both locally and nationally. In 2016, Wake Forest Law named its pro bono summer stipend in her honor, and in 2018, she received the William & Mary Law School Association's Citizen Lawyer Award—the school's highest honor.
Beyond the legal and academic spheres, Beth has been deeply involved with the United States Tennis Association, where she has done extensive work advancing diversity and inclusion in the sport. In 2023, she received the Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award and was recognized as one of 17 USTA Champions of Equality at the US Open.
A recipient of the 2023 Wake Forest Distinguished Alumni Award, Professor Beth Hopkins continues to embody the University's motto, Pro Humanitate, through her lifelong dedication to equity, education, and community impact.
2023-24 ACC UNITE Award Recipients
Back on Oct. 18, 2023, the Atlantic Coast Conference 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, were the Demon Deacons' two honorees that year.
The UNITE Award is presented annually to individuals who:
- Best exemplify ACC's mission to promote and encourage opportunity 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.
South Hall was originally named for its geographic location on the south side of campus. It opened in the fall of 2010 and was the first LEED-certified residence hall on Reynolda Campus.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 59 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded medicine school, business school, law school and an innovative department of engineering. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, DC – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
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