Physicist's name for uni building
Annabel Williams • Published 21 May 2009 07:00
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A NEW building opens at Reading University next month named in honour of the man who paved the way for broadband internet access.
Biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences will be based at The Hopkins Building from June 12, named after Professor Harold Hopkins, who was head of physics between 1977 and 1980.
The university has a policy of naming new buildings after eminent people, and Prof Hopkins is a worthy choice.
Born in 1918 to a poor family in Leicester, he graduated in physics and maths from University College Leicester in 1939.
He gained a PhD in optical design in 1945 and began a research fellowship at Imperial College London in 1947 and lectured in optics.
His achievements include designing the first zoom lens which could also be used as a standard fixed-focus lens for the BBC, changing the way outdoor events were filmed.
He co-designed the fibroscope, a flexible bundle of glass fibres which is used today in fibre optic cables that deliver high-speed, broadband internet access to millions of homes across the world.
The fibroscope went on to be used by surgeons to photograph previously unreachable parts of the body.
He held the Chair in Optics at Reading University from 1967 and retired in 1984. He died in Reading in October 1994.
University spokesman Alex Brannen said: 'The prestigious and architecturally-striking new facility seeks to emulate Professor Hopkins" reputation in biomedical research such that it will house multi-disciplinary activities focusing on the university"s key areas of expertise in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.'
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 21 May 09
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