Some call Campbellsville University President Dr. Joseph Hopkins friend, some call him family, but most call him “Bowtie Prez.”
It seems he has a bow tie for every occasion.
Many people think Hopkins wears bow ties simply because he owns some, but there is meaning behind the bow ties that Hopkins wears. Hopkins’ first encounter with bow ties began when his mother made him wear them at a young age.
“I wore bow ties because my mom put them on me,” said Hopkins. “I didn’t again until my wife decided I should wear a bow tie.”
Suzanne Hopkins said she made the bow tie suggestion when they first went shopping for clothes together.
“It was [at] a men’s store in Texas, and they just had these beautiful bow ties, so I said, ‘why don’t you get a bowtie?’” she said.
It was then that Hopkins was gifted his first bow tie of many to come. As the recognition of his image grew, so did the numberof bow ties that were gifted to him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever bought a bow tie for myself,” he said. “I wore one a few times, and then somebody would give meone, and it just became a thing… It’s always hard to give gifts, so it was easy to get a bow tie.”
Over the years, Hopkins has been given some unique bow ties. Some are made of unexpected materials, such as feathers,cork, wood and even a $2 bill. He has bow ties that contain interesting patterns, with some containing logos of universitiesof his past. He has a custom made “happy birthday” bow tie. There are a few with patterns of Scottish Terriers that look like Winston, who is CU’s First Dog.
Hopkins said he has a few neckties, but he only wears them on April Fools’ Day.
“My favorite bow tie is just a really cool maroon bow tie with a little bit of blue in it that just goes really well with my suits,” he said.
In general, his maroon bow ties are his favorite.
Many of his bow ties have stories behind them. Suzanne’s family owns a farm and one of the things they harvest is peanuts,so they bought him a bow tie with a peanut pattern on it.
In total, he has 136 bow ties. From traditional bow ties to tuxedo ties, they are all color coordinated in a special dresser designated just for them. Every single bow tie he owns is a self-tie bow tie, meaning the bow must be tied manually, as opposed to pre-tied ones and clip-on ties.
Hopkins’ bow tie trend has even reached the family dog. Winston himself has his very own bow tie collection.
Suzanne hastried to convince their two sons, Joseph and Vance, to wear bow ties, but they have refused, as it is more “their dad’s style.”
“It makes him unique,” said Vance.
When Hopkins was naming his Instagram account as president of CU, the choice was obvious.
“We didn’t want just something generic,” he said. “It was either going to be ‘cu president’ or ‘bowtie prez,’ and everybodylaughed when we said, ‘bow tie prez.’ I actually like the name ‘bow tie prez,’ because it makes me feel closer to the students instead of something formal, like ‘Dr. Hopkins’ or ‘President’.”
Throughout his career, bow ties have been a constant, and they will continue to be a staple of his wardrobe.
“One of my favorite lines is ‘if everybody is going right, I’m looking to the left,’” he said. “I want to spice up life a little. Bedifferent.”
