JCU - Abstracts of the BAUS 2018 Scientific Meeting - June 2018 - 5

Goddard

Figure 1. James Gow (1917 - 2001), Image provided by The
Museum of Urology, BAUS.

would have it Dent left Gateway in 1931 to become a journalist, perhaps it was unsurprising he encouraged his talented pupil to pursue a literary path; he subsequently
became editor of The Times Educational Supplement. The
new headmaster, Mr E.C. White, who had an interest in
science, recognised Hopkins' abilities in Maths and
encouraged him.3 This lucky change of headmaster led to
another scholarship and in 1936 Harold Hopkins moved up
to University College Leicester to read Physics and
Mathematics graduating in 1939.4. (Figure 2)

A Wartime administration error
After graduating, Hopkins began working in a Leicester
optics company, Taylor, Taylor and Hopson; at this time
optics and lenses were an important part of the war effort
and he designed bomb aimers and gun sights.2 As a skilled
optics engineer he was in a reserved occupation and thus
escaped the draft into active service. However, as often
happens in wartime and in big companies, somewhere,
somehow some paperwork was not correctly filled out;
Hopkins found himself drafted into the army. Although
this may seem like bad luck for Hopkins and for optical
research it was actually a lucky coincidence, which in the
future would make a surprising difference.
Hopkins was soon promoted to Lance Corporal (temporary and unpaid as he later amusingly remarked) he wasn't
destined to remain in the forces long but he did make some
good friends including a fellow solider called Nairs Craig.
Whilst in the army Hopkins was required to present some of
his previous research and as a serving solider turned up to
the interview in battledress. It became very apparent to the

Figure 2. Harold Hopkins at Leicester University, image
provided by Mr Derek Fawcet.

committee that Hopkins was clearly in the wrong place and
should not remain on active service; he was quickly brought
back to civilian life and his research. Hopkins was allowed
to continue studying for his PhD (away from his university
under a special wartime dispensation) and began research
for the Ministry of Aircraft Production. He subsequently
joined W.W. Watsons and Son Ltd. another optics company
in Barnet as Director of Research and Development5. He
was awarded his PhD in 1945.
During his time at Watsons he was approached by the
BBC who wanted their cameras to have the ability to zoom
in from a panoramic view to a close up whilst keeping the
picture in focus. Hopkins applied himself to the problem
and designed the zoom lens. It was first trialled by the
BBC for the Test Match at Lord's in 19481 and he sold the
patent for £2000.2 In 1947 he left industry and joined
Imperial College as a Research Fellow subsequently
becoming a Lecturer and then Reader3.

A dinner party
In 1951 Harold Hopkins was invited to a dinner party by
Nairs Craig, his old army friend. At the dinner Hopkins
found himself talking to Hugh Gainsborough (1893 -
1980) a consultant gastroenterologist at St Georges
Hospital. Gainsborough was complaining about the inadequate instruments available to view the stomach lining.
Rigid endoscopes could with some difficulty be used in the

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JCU - Abstracts of the BAUS 2018 Scientific Meeting - June 2018