John Jay Hopkins*
Class of 1953
- Chairman and President General Dynamics Corporation
Take each job that comes your way seriously and perform them to the best of your ability.
John Jay Hopkins was born in Santa Ana, California, in 1893. His first job was as a newspaper boy. He graduated from the University of California, worked briefly in the petroleum industry, and then entered Harvard Law School.
Hopkins served as special assistant to the secretary of the U.S. Treasury. In 1937, he joined Electric Boat Co. as a lawyer and rose to vice president. He later became president of Electric Boat, purchased Canadair in 1952, and formed General Dynamics Corp. He eventually headed General Dynamics, which was a leader in developing atomic energy and which later became one of the nation's top defense contractors.