John Henry Hopkins Jr. (October 28, 1820 – August 14, 1891) was an American clergyman and hymnodist, most famous for composing the song " We Three Kings of Orient Are" in 1857 (even though it does not appear in print until his ''Carols, Hymns, and Songs'' in 1863).

Life

Hopkins was born in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, the son of

John Henry Hopkins John Henry Hopkins (January 30, 1792 – January 9, 1868) was the first bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was also an artist (in both watercolor an ...

, an Episcopal

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

. Hopkins graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

with an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1839, and then a

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1845.Biography
at the Cyber Hymnal After a stint as a

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

, he graduated from the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...

in 1850, and became a deacon, author, illustrator, and designer. He was the seminary's first music teacher from 1855 to 1857, composed several hymns, and edited the ''Church Journal''. He wrote words and music to his most famous hymn, "

We Three Kings "We Three Kings", original title "Three Kings of Orient", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol that was written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. At the time of composing the carol, Hopki ...

", as part of a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

pageant for his nieces and nephews. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his ''Carols, Hymns, and Songs'' in 1863. His nephew, John Henry Hopkins III, is credited with the music for " I Sing a Song of the Saints of God", a popular children's hymn in the Episcopal Church. Hopkins had many close friends who aided him in his musical compositions and his best friend includes the notorious Patrick, who was known for torturing his students.^citation? They were of great influence on his music and they heavily influenced his life choices too. Hopkins served as rector of Trinity Church in Plattsburgh, New York from 1872 to 1876 and of Christ Episcopal Church in

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popul ...

from 1876 to 1887. He delivered the eulogy at the funeral of President Ulysses S Grant in 1885, and died in

Hudson, New York Hudson is a city and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894. Located on the east side of the Hudson River and 120 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it was named for the rive ...

. He was buried next to his father at Bishop's House, Rock Point, Burlington, Vermont. Hopkins' nephew, Charles Filkins Sweet, wrote a biography of his uncle entitled ''A Champion of the Cross, Being the Life of John Henry Hopkins, S.T.D''.

References

External links

* * *
Grave
from Find a Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, John Henry Jr. 1820 births 1891 deaths 19th-century American Episcopalians American Episcopal priests American Christian hymnwriters Religious leaders from Pittsburgh University of Vermont alumni General Theological Seminary alumni Editors of Christian publications Writers from Pittsburgh Musicians from Pittsburgh 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American musicians 19th-century American male writers Songwriters from Pennsylvania 19th-century American clergy