Background
Sir Henry Thomas Hopkinson was born on April 19, 1905 in Manchester, United Kingdom. His father was a Church of England clergyman and a scholar, and his mother had been a school teacher.
journalist teacher author picture magazine editor
Sir Henry Thomas Hopkinson was born on April 19, 1905 in Manchester, United Kingdom. His father was a Church of England clergyman and a scholar, and his mother had been a school teacher.
Tom Hopkinson attended prep school on the Lancashire coast and then St Edward's School, Oxford. From there he went to Pembroke College, reading Classical Moderations (Class II, 1925) and Greats (Class III, 1927). His philosophy tutor for Greats was R. G. Collingwood.
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 then on Picture Post magazine from 1938 to 1940. When Lorant left permanently for America in July 1940, Tom Hopkinson became editor of Picture Post, in 1940, remaining until 1950.
Tom Hopkinson defended his staff's editorial independence fiercely, and his publisher, Sir Edward 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, Tom Hopkinson reportedly saved a man's life by standing over him to prevent a mob beating the man to death.
In October 1950, after photojournalist Bert Hardy and writer James Cameron returned to London from their Korean War coverage, Tom 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". Tom 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.[citation needed]
Hopkinson's became editor of South Africa's Drum magazine in 1958. He encouraged the South Africa photojournalist Peter Magubane, who was covering the anti-apartheid struggle. He travelled regularly to Ghana and Nigeria during this time, organising the local editions of Drum. Tom Hopkinson provided the textual material for the South African volume of the Life World Library published by Time Inc in 1965.
When Tom 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.
Tom Hopkinson married three times, his wives were: Antonia White, Gerti Deutsch, and Dorothy Hopkinson. He was the father of three children: Lyndall Hopkinson Passerini, Nicolette Hopkinson Roeske, and Amanda Hopkinson.