Annual Christmas Eve ceremony celebrates Johns Hopkins' founding gift

Graveside gathering held on anniversary of benefactor's 1873 death

Credit: Larry Canner

Members of the Johns Hopkins community and city residents gathered at the hilltop gravesite of Johns Hopkins on Christmas Eve morning, the 139th anniversary of his death, to celebrate the benefactor of the university and hospital that bear his name.

The annual ceremony, held at 10 a.m. at Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery, included remembrances and a wreath laying. It was led by Ross Jones, vice president and secretary emeritus of the university. Neil Grauer, A&S '69, author of the recently published "Leading the Way: A History of Johns Hopkins Medicine," also delivered brief remarks.

The $7 million estate left by Hopkins in equal parts to the two institutions was, at the time of his death in 1873, the largest philanthropic bequest in U.S. history.

Mr. Hopkins' obituary from the Dec. 25, 1873, edition of The Baltimore Sun is available online.

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