Saipan Tribune

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Hopwood gears up for golden fete

One of the oldest schools on island, Hopwood Junior High School, is gearing up to celebrate the institution's golden anniversary in December.

Hopwood Junior High School principal Jonas Barcinas told Saipan Tribune that the highlight of the event is the “50 Years In Review,” which will showcase the school and students' memorabilia, and a tribute to the person for whom the institution was named after-Adm. Herbert Gladstone Hopwood, a four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy and commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 1958 to 1960.

Committees for logistics to entertainment have been created to encourage the school's alumni to support for the event. The school committees are encouraging alumni to share their photos, yearbooks, and other materials that will showcase their lives at the school.

Barcinas said they also look forward to the participation of the school's former administrators, teachers, and alumni to make the occasion more memorable.

He disclosed they are in communication with the late admiral's grandson who lives in Pennsylvania on the possibility of him attending the celebration on Saipan.

The golden anniversary is tentatively scheduled for the week of Dec. 22-23, in time for the school's Christmas break.

After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Hopwood worked as vice president in charge of operations for the Grace Steamship Co. until 1964. He married the former Jean Fulton and they lived in retirement in New Jersey. He was twice awarded the Legion of Merit for his World War II service, once as director of planning and control in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and once as commanding officer of the light cruiser Cleveland.

Hopwood Junior High School is originally the first institution of higher learning in the CNMI.