The words of Sam Hopkins, a direct descendant of Johns' eldest brother, are recorded by WBAL-AM's John Patti for next year's "Christmas in Maryland" radio special. Photo by Jay VanRensselaer / HIPS

In Baltimore's celebrated Green Mount Cemetery, where the resting spots of many of the city's illustrious citizens are marked by elaborate tombstones or mausoleums, the grave of Johns Hopkins is topped by a simple, unassuming slab of stone saying "He was the founder of The Johns Hopkins University and of The Johns Hopkins Hospital." It is here each year, on the anniversary of his death on Christmas Eve 1873, that admirers who have benefited from the bequest of his $7 million estate — at the time, the largest philanthropic bequest in U.S. history — gather to reflect on the impact of his gift.

"The advancement of knowledge for people around the world began at that time," said Ross Jones, vice president and secretary emeritus of the university, who initiated the graveside gathering in 1973.

Sam Hopkins, a direct descendant of Joseph Hopkins, Johns' eldest brother, spoke about his ancestor's legacy and marveled at the biographical information he had gleaned from Johns Hopkins: A Silhouette, a book written by Helen Hopkins Thom and published by the Johns Hopkins University Press in 1929. Though long out of print, the book will be available again through the Press in fall 2008.

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