John “Jack” Hopkins, a Black man hired as Pennsylvania College’s janitor in 1847, became a well-known and respected figure on campus as his responsibilities grew to include caring for the grounds and ringing the college bell. By 1860 he lived in a home near the present site of Musselman Library and was jokingly called the College’s “Vice-President” by students. When Confederate forces approached Gettysburg in 1863, Hopkins and his family fled to avoid the risk of enslavement. During the battle, his home was used by Confederate forces as an auxiliary field hospital connected to the main hospital in Pennsylvania Hall.