His reputation diminished when he was discovered to be a slave owner: Who is Johns Hopkins?

Johns Hopkins University discovered new information about the past of the school's founder, Johns Hopkins, during research on the history of the school. Historical scans showed that Johns Hopkins, who was known as an abolitionist by this time, employed slaves in his home in the 1840s and 1850s.

In the statement made by the school, the statement said, "A look at the government census records showed that there was one registered slave in Hopkins' household in 1840 and four registered slaves in 1850." Slavery was not abolished in Maryland, where Hopkins lived, until 1864.

Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for most of his life.

School officials said that there is no full biography of Hopkins, the founder of the university and that research will continue. The school explained its reason for sharing the findings with the following words: "To create a deeper understanding of the history of racism in our institutions, our city, our country."

Johns Hopkins died in 1873. Hopkins left $7 million to open a university, orphanage, and hospital.

Johns Hopkins was born on May 19, 1795. Raised as a Quaker, Johns Hopkins was known as a man of integrity, generous to a fault, somewhat stubborn, and a tough bargainer.

From being a grocer's apprentice, he became a millionaire banker over time. He became one of Victorian Baltimore's greatest philanthropists.

He was named after his great-grandmother, Margaret Johns, the daughter of Richard Johns, who owned 4,000 acres of land.

At the age of 17, he realized that their farm was not large enough to support his large family. He moved to Baltimore to help his brother, who was a grocer. Even in his youth, he was good with numbers and a fast learner.

Since Hopkins had no wife or children to inherit, he sought ways to use his wealth to benefit others.

No one knows how he came up with the idea of establishing a university attached to a hospital, but there is ample evidence that he turned to friends for advice.

To realize his vision, he appointed a 12-member board of trustees comprised of local thought leaders. They, in turn, created an environment that attracted top educators and medical professionals to guide the university and hospital.

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Who Was Johns Hopkins?

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/about/history/johns-hopkins