Changes

|children=Two daughters and a<br> son, the [[actor]] Josh Hopkins

|children=Two daughters and a<br> son, the [[actor]] Josh Hopkins

|alma_mater=Murray State University

|alma_mater=Murray State University

|branch=[[United States Marine Corps}}

|branch=[[United States Marine Corps]]

|serviceyears=1954–1956}}

|serviceyears=1954–1956}}

Hopkins was born in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], to Glenn Hopkins (1908-1994) but was reared in Kentucky. He attended public schools in Wingo in Graves County in southwestern Kentucky. He enrolled at Murray State University in Murray in Calloway County, also in the southwestern portion of the state.

Hopkins was born in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], to Glenn Hopkins (1908-1994) but was reared in Kentucky. He attended public schools in Wingo in Graves County in southwestern Kentucky. He enrolled at Murray State University in Murray in Calloway County, also in the southwestern portion of the state.

==Political life==

==Political life==

 

He served as the Fayette County clerk prior to his election in 1971 to the Kentucky House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, he was a state senator from 1976 to 1978. During his tenure in Congress, Hopkins was a member of the House Armed Services Committee,<ref>Larry Jones Hopkins (1933-2021) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed November 17, 2021.</ref> in which capacity he was a co-sponsor of the  Goldwater–Nichols Act, cosponsored by Republican [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] and Democrat William Flynt "Bill" Nichols (1918-1988) of [[Alabama]]. The law ordered the realignment of military bases across the nation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement on Signing the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-signing-goldwater-nichols-department-defense-reorganization-act-1986|accessdate=November 17, 2021|publisher=Reagan Library}}</ref>  

From 1954 to 1956, Hopkins served in the [[United States Marine Corps]] and thereafter became a stockbroker with Hilliard Lyons. He served as the Fayette County clerk prior to his election in 1971 to the Kentucky House of

Representatives. Before entering Congress, he was a state senator from 1976 to 1978. During his tenure in Congress, Hopkins was a member of the House Armed Services Committee,<ref>Larry Jones Hopkins (1933-2021) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed November 17, 2021.</ref> in which capacity he was a co-sponsor of the  Goldwater–Nichols Act, cosponsored by Republican [[Barry Goldwater]] of [[Arizona]] and Democrat William Flynt "Bill" Nichols (1918-1988) of [[Alabama]]. The law ordered the realignment of military bases across the nation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement on Signing the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/statement-signing-goldwater-nichols-department-defense-reorganization-act-1986|accessdate=November 17, 2021|publisher=Reagan Library}}</ref>  

In his gubernatorial race, Hopkins narrowly defeated Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Forgy, a [[Frankfort]] attorney<ref>Larry Jones Hopkins (1933-2021) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed November 17, 2021.</ref> attorney who was the legal counsel to Republican former Governor [[Louie B. Nunn]]. Hopkins polled 81,526 votes (50.6 percent) in the [[primary]] to Forgy's 79,581 (49.4 percent)<ref>{{cite web|title=Jones, Hopkins in Kentucky race for Governor|publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]''|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/05/29/jones-hopkins-in-kentucky-race-for-governor/7b346b73-ab3d-492b-84b5-57543ab30d59/|date=May 29, 1991|accessdate=November 17,  2021}}</ref> Hopkins lost the general election to Brereton Jones (born 1939), who polled 540,468 votes (64.7 percent) to Hopkins'

In his gubernatorial race, Hopkins narrowly defeated Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Forgy, a [[Frankfort]] attorney<ref>Larry Jones Hopkins (1933-2021) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed November 17, 2021.</ref> attorney who was the legal counsel to Republican former Governor [[Louie B. Nunn]]. Hopkins polled 81,526 votes (50.6 percent) in the [[primary]] to Forgy's 79,581 (49.4 percent)<ref>{{cite web|title=Jones, Hopkins in Kentucky race for Governor|publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]''|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/05/29/jones-hopkins-in-kentucky-race-for-governor/7b346b73-ab3d-492b-84b5-57543ab30d59/|date=May 29, 1991|accessdate=November 17,  2021}}</ref> Hopkins lost the general election to Brereton Jones (born 1939), who polled 540,468 votes (64.7 percent) to Hopkins'