Fri-yay

In this Issue:

• Founders Day recap
• Renaming of South Hall to Hopkins Hall

Today is a longish read but I hope you will find it an important one, as it speaks to who we are as an institution and what we value. Whether you are a parent or family member reading this or a student, I think it is important to understand the spirit of our school.

Founders Day recap

Founders Day was yesterday. If you did not get a chance to watch the livestream, you can view the recording here. I highly recommend watching it, because it showcased some of the very best of Wake Forest’s people, our goals, and ideals. I came away with a tear in my eye and a sense of gratitude that I get to be one of the Stewards of Wake Forest, in the words of one of the speeches.

I won’t do justice to the full speeches, which is why I recommend the livestream, but I did jot down a few thoughts, in impressionistic style, of statements that resonated with me.

From Dr. Wente’s opening remarks:

• Who we [WF] are in 2025 is the result of many founders, and many foundings
• Every Wake Forester is a founder; we are all part of an active, ongoing founding of Wake Forest
• All of us have a voice that matters here, and that rich tapestry of voices is foundational to our community
• Founders show up today for the possibilities of tomorrow

From the Senior Oration by Zac Anderson (’25)

• Wake Forest is my sandbox: we’re all given tools and invited to make something extraordinary
• [WF] is the kind of place where people aren’t just welcomed, they are embraced
• Wake Forest is the place where I learned to live fully

Let me just say, my mom heart was full of pride in Zac’s speech. He was just terrific. While you can read his oration, the way he delivers it was fantastic, so do watch.

The Chamber Choir

Our choir sang “I Dream a World,” whose words were by Langston Hughes. They were extraordinary – such beautiful voices and amazing melodies (and accompaniment by fellow students). At one point I counted the number of singers – it looked to be about 45 people – and I marveled that so few singers could fill Wait Chapel with such amazing sound. Chef’s kiss.

Dean Andrew Klein of the Law School

Dean Klein spoke about academic freedom and freedom of expression, and there is zero chance I will do justice to that weighty topic in any recap, so again, I’d watch the recording or read his remarks. He was funny, and personable, and has an amazing way of connecting with the audience.

Awarding of the Medallion of Merit

Dr. Wente then awarded the Medallion of Merit – the University’s highest honor – to Don Flow, MBA graduate and longtime Trustee. While I don’t know Don Flow personally, I have been at Wake Forest events with him, as well as his father (also a Wake Forest legend), and I have heard my colleagues speak of him with the highest levels of respect and regard. There was a beautiful video about the many ways he has been a servant leader at Wake Forest.

But perhaps the thing that touched me the most was the way he talked about his parents in his acceptance remarks. Happily, his parents were in the audience to witness this honor (an honor his father had also received, the only two family members to receive the Medallion of Merit in Wake Forest history!)

Don Flow spoke of his happy childhood and all that his parents had done for him with such warmth and tenderness. And it struck me that no matter how old we are as children, the role our parents play – and continue to play – in our lives is profound and elemental.

Closing remarks by Dean Corey D.B. Walker

As with Dean Klein, I cannot do justice to Dean Walker’s remarks. I will simply say that he is a highly gifted speaker. His delivery, his passion, his voice are so inspirational, I remember thinking he could tell me to walk into a brick wall and I might just do it. What a gift to Wake Forest.

Renaming of South Hall to Hopkins Hall

The final piece to Founders Day was the announcement that we are renaming South Hall in honor of Professor Beth Hopkins and her late husband, Dr. Larry Hopkins. President Wente sent a message to campus following Founders Day explaining this honor. This excerpt gives you a sense of the remarkable contributions of this amazing Wake Forest couple:

“I am pleased to announce that Wake Forest will rename South Residence Hall for two Wake Forest University alumni and professors, each a trailblazer and exemplar Demon Deacon in their own right: Beth Hopkins (‘73) and the late Dr. Larry Hopkins (’72, MD ’77). 

Beth Hopkins has been a champion for justice, equity, education and athletics across her extensive career after graduating cum laude from Wake Forest in 1973 as one of the University’s first two Black women residential students. She served as a federal prosecutor and as a civil rights attorney, and she worked on a team of attorneys in the landmark Brown v Board of Education case. She served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Virginia and Louisiana and as an Assistant Attorney General in Virginia.  

She returned to Wake Forest and has held a variety of leadership and teaching roles – most recently as a University Trustee and, prior to her retirement, as the inaugural director of the Smith Anderson Center for Community Outreach at the School of Law. Beth has done extensive work for the United States Tennis Association (UTSA) and received the Billie Jean King Champion of Equality award in 2023.

She is well-known throughout the Wake Forest community as an exceptional teacher, mentor, and advocate. In 2023, Beth received the Wake Forest Distinguished Alumni award.

Dr. Larry Hopkins, a Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame running back, became a physician and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. He was a leader in improving access and outcomes for women’s and neonatal health in Winston-Salem. His impact as a community leader, mentor, and long-time University Trustee, led to him being bestowed with the University’s top honor, the Medallion of Merit. 

Naming a building on campus – particularly a residence hall – is a rare opportunity and one of the highest honors a University can bestow.”

As I said to someone after the announcement, “Beth Hopkins deserves the world.” I don’t know her personally, but I have been at Wake long enough to have seen her, and her wonderful late husband Dr. Hopkins, at many, many Wake Forest events. They are a truly special couple and have given so much to Winston-Salem, Wake Forest, and beyond. Truly representatives of Pro Humanitate.

This is the first renaming of a residence hall in many years. When I was a student, I lived for a semester in what was then called South Hall – later renamed after my graduation to Collins Hall. The reality is that names of college buildings can change. Colleges are ever changing, ever growing – always being founded, in the words of Dr. Wente. And that is a good thing. Places of education should never stand still.

A name change can sometimes feel hard for students, particularly if they lived in that building and identify with the former name. I hope that for any students who might have feelings about the name change, if they understand just how exceptional Beth and Larry Hopkins have been in the life of Wake Forest, they will associate the new residence hall name with a sense of pride in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.

Closing thoughts

If you made it all this way to the end, bless you 🙂

You all ought to know by now that 1) I am a sappy, sentimental English major type, and 2) I love Wake Forest to my core. Most of the best things in my life came through Wake: my transformational education, my best friends (both in college and today as a staff member), my husband, my career. So an event like Founders Day, that honors the people of Wake Forest and reinforces the core parts of our animating spirit, always hits me in the feels.

I love Hemingway, and one of my favorite Hemingway quotes is “Every man has two deaths: when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name.” At Founders Day, two of the speakers talked about Ed Wilson (’43), the late and much beloved Mr. Wake Forest, whose example shaped literally generations of Wake Foresters. And they also honored the late Dr. Hopkins, who was so remarkable.

May we all continue to speak their names.

Have a great weekend, Daily Deacdom!