James Hopper (writer)

James Marie Hopper (July 23, 1876 – August 28, 1956) was an American writer and novelist. He was also an early college football player and coach, playing at the University of California, Berkeley[1] and then serving single seasons as head football coach at Nevada State University—now known as the University of Nevada, Reno—and at California. During his lifetime he publish 450 short stories and six novels.[2]

James Hopper
James Hopper (1917).
Biographical details
Born(1876-07-23)July 23, 1876
Paris, France
DiedAugust 28, 1956(1956-08-28) (aged 80)
Carmel, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley (1898)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1900Nevada State
1904California
Head coaching record
Overall10–3–2

Record at Nevada

With Hopper leading the Sagebrushers through the season of 1900, Nevada State posted a third consecutive winning season, the last consecutive streak until Ray Courtright's posted four consecutives, from 1919 to 1922. Nevada State went 4–2–1 under his tutelage, including their first ever win over a major "first team."

Prior to this season, the Sagebrushers' primary opponents were small preparatory schools and the second teams of larger California universities. Those few times the 'Brushers faced a major, first team normally led to crushing defeat. Hopper changed the tide forever by beating the Stanford "First Eleven", 6–0.

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Nevada State Sagebrushers (Independent) (1900)
1900 Nevada State 4–2–1
Nevada State: 4–2–1
California Golden Bears (Independent) (1904)
1904 California 6–1–1
California: 6–1–1
Total:10–3–2

Personal life
Mary Austin, Jack London, George Sterling, and Jimmy Hopper.

Hopper was born on July 23, 1876, in Paris, France, to John Joseph Hopper, a native of Ireland, and his wife, Victoire Blanche Lefebvre. He attended schooling in Paris and later immigrated to the United States with his mother to California, where he completed his preliminary education.[3]

Hopper graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with the class of 1898. While at Berkeley, he played football and was the lead quarterback. He completed law school at the Hastings Law School. He passed the state bar examination but never practiced law. Instead he worked as a reporter on the San Francisco Chronicle, and was on the staff of The Wave, a literary San Francisco weekly.[4]

He married Mattie E. Leonard on September 21, 1901, at the San Francisco residence of her father, Joseph E. Leonard and mother. Their honeymoon was a trip to Southern California.[5]

James Hopper with Jack London. The photo was taken in Oakland in April 1907, as the London's prepared to embark on a round-the-world cruise.

After coaching at the University of California in 1904, Hopper was sent to the Philippines, by the McClure's magazine, to write a new book.[6] When they returned to the United States, Hopper joined the McClure's staff in San Francisco. He then became a reporter for the San Francisco Call at the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.[4] He ended up staying there for two years to teach school.

In 1907, he and his wife moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California where his good friend, George Sterling, had established "Bohemia-by-the Sea". There he rented a house by the beach where he published stories that he hoped to sell to magazines. In Carmel many of his close associates were friends from his encounters at Coppa's “bohemian” restaurant in San Francisco, including: Harry Leon Wilson, Xavier Martinez, Arnold Genthe, painter Francis McComas and his wife Gene as well as Perry Newberry, Mary Hunter Austin, and Sinclair Lewis.[7]

Hopper was close friends with novelist Jack London. In April 1907, London was aboard his boat, the Snark, when he held the sleeve of a football sweater with his wife Charmian, and Hopper. The London's were prepared to embark on a round-the-world cruise. London hoisted his old friend's jersey up the mast and flew it like a flag as the Snark sailed past the Golden Gate and out of San Francisco Bay.[8]

When he left Carmel he returned to Oakland to write stories of his Philippine adventures for Sunset and other magazines.[9]

Following his return to Carmel, Hopper built a home on the site that George Sterling had a home. He became a United States citizen in 1917. During World War I, he worked as a correspondent for Collier's magazine. At the end of the war, he became a full-time Carmel resident. He was active at the Forest Theater in Carmel. During the Great Depression in the United States, he served in the WPA's Federal Writers' Project as a state director and later as the northern regional director.[4][10]

Death

Hopper died at his Carmel hone on August 28, 1956, at age 80. Funeral servies were held in Pacific Grove.[2]

Works
Our First Victory by James Hopper, Collier's Aug 24, 1918.
  • The Proud Dig and the Lazy Student (1901) (short story published by A. M. Robertson)[11]
  • Caybigan (1906) (short stories)[12]
  • 9009 (1908)[13]
  • The Trimming of Goosie (1909)[14]
  • The Freshman (1912)[15]
  • What Happened in the Night, and Other Stories (1913) (short stories)[16]
  • Coming Back With the Spitball, a Pitcher's Romance (1914)[17]
  • Medals Of Honor (1929) illus. John Alan Maxwell[18]

Short works from magazines
  • Passing of the Vet (1904 Nov, McClure's)
  • A Jumble in Divinities (1904 Nov & Dec, McClure's Magazine)
  • The Pity of Woman (1906 May, Everybody's)
  • Our San Francisco (1906 June, Everybody's)
  • A Boy and a Girl (1906 Sep, Harpers)
  • Ali Baba (1907 Aug, McClure's Magazine)
  • The Bit of Calico (1907 Nov, McClure's Magazine)
  • Gus (1908 Nov, Century Magazine)
  • The Hate That Saved (1908 Mar, Century Magazine)
  • The Reformation of Jack Ketch (1909 Mar, McClure's)
  • Training With the Tigers (1909, Saturday Evening Post)
  • The Boy Who Lost Weight (1909, Saturday Evening Post)
  • Banjo Nell, (1910 Feb, Collier's)
  • The Boy Who Lost Weight (1909, Saturday Evening Post)
  • The Black Night (1910 Jun, Harpers Monthly)
  • The Difference (1913 Feb, Forum)
  • The Night School (1914 Mar, Century Magazine)
  • The Great Lottery (1917 Dec, Century Magazine)
  • Our First Victory (1919 Aug, Collier's)
  • The Scoop of Charles Hamilton Potts (1920 July & Aug, Everybody's) (novelette)
  • The Pessimist Rewarded (1920 Aug, Harpers)
  • The Little Cave-Boy (1921 Jan, Everybody's)
  • The Ship in the Bottle, (1922 Windsor)
  • Jerrup (1922 Aug, Century Magazine)

References
  1. S. T. Joshi (February 20, 2013). Great Tales of Terror. Courier Corporation. pp. 287–. ISBN 978-0-486-14876-2.
  2. "Funeral Held for Writer J. B. Hopper". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 30 Aug 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  3. "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography". J. T. White. 1963. pp. 220–221. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  4. "Jimmy Hopper: One of the Carmel Gang, by Connie Wright". Stories of old Carmel: A Centennial Tribute From The Carmel Residents Association. Carmel Residents Assoc. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 2014. pp. 14–16.
  5. "San Francisco Call". San Francisco, California. 22 September 1901. p. 25. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  6. "Coach Hopper To Resume Literary Work. Brilliant Yount Author to Be Sent to the Philippines By the M'Clure's". Oakland Tribune. November 12, 1904. p. 11. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  7. Edwards, Robert W. (2012). Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies, Vol. 1. Oakland, Calif.: East Bay Heritage Project. pp. 49, 68, 137, 183, 353, 361, 494–495, 504, 509, 547, 588. ISBN 9781467545679. An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol. 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website.
  8. "California, Berkeley in Books: Jimmy Hopper's Jersey". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  9. Temple, Sydney (1987). Carmel-by-the-Sea, From Aborigines to Coastal Commission. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  10. "Gets WPA Appointment". The Californian. Salinas, California. 2 Jan 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  11. Danielle, La France (1997). Berkeley! A literary Tribute. Heyday Books. Berkeley, California. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  12. Hopper, James Marie (1906). Caybigan. McClure, Phillips & Company. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  13. Hopper, James Marie; Bechdolt, Frederick Ritchie (1908). 9009. Harvard University. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  14. Hopper, James (1909). The Trimming of Goosie. Moffat, Yard and Company. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  15. Hopper, James (1912). The Freshman. Moffat, Yard and Company. New York. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  16. Hopper, James Marie (1913). What Happened in the Night, and Other Stories. Henry Holt and Company. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  17. Hopper, James Marie (1914). Coming Back With the Spitball, a Pitcher's Romance. Harper. New York. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  18. Hopper, James (1929). Medals of Honor. The John Day company. New York. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
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