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Hopson, Wilbur

Wilbur Hopson

Biography

A retired associate professor of chemistry at Texas State, Wilbur Hopson (1917-2015) received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and English in 1938 and his master’s in chemistry in 1958 from Southwest Texas State Teachers College (SWT). During his undergraduate days, he was a member of Alpha and Omega, better known as the White Stars. Like several other members of the organization, he also worked for the National Youth Administration.

He was a much respected and revered teacher of chemistry for over thirty years at Texas State University. As a Naval officer, he served in the Pacific during World War II.

LBJ100 Oral History Project

Wilbur Hobson talks about going to school in San Marcos from grade school through college. While attending college, he was recruited by the White Stars and had a job with the National Youth Administration [NYA] during the Great Depression years. He also talks about the secrecy surrounding the White Stars on campus, and how connections he made in the group helped him in his career, including working in other positions with the NYA. He recalls one especially notable memory of visiting D.C. and having Lyndon Johnson recognize him and call him by name.

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PDF Transcript, January 29, 2008 (not yet available online)
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HTML Transcript, January 29, 2008

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