Today in Wheeling History: June 15--Budd Hopkins, abstract artist and UFO researcher, was born in Wheeling (1931).
Elliot Budd Hopkins was born on June 15, 1931, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Elliot B. and Eleanor A. Hopkins. Raised in Wheeling alongside his siblings Stuart and Eleanor, Budd contracted polio at age two. During his long recovery, he began sculpting ships from modeling clay, sparking a lifelong passion for art. He graduated from Linsly Military Institute in 1949 and earned a degree in art history from Oberlin College in 1953. Hopkins moved to New York City, where he became immersed in the abstract expressionist movement, befriending artists like Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. His work was exhibited in major institutions including the Guggenheim, the Smithsonian, and the Museum of Modern Art. In 1976, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting.
Beyond art, Hopkins became a leading figure in UFO abduction research. His 1981 book "Missing Time" and 1987 bestseller "Intruders" brought national attention to the phenomenon. He founded the Intruders Foundation to support abductee research. Hopkins died on August 21, 2011, in New York City and is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Though he spent much of his adult life in New York, his Wheeling roots remained foundational to his identity and early development.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/4sv8y9mb), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5cut9z3m), Intruders Foundation (https://tinyurl.com/z2w4xdcz), Budd Hopkins official site (https://tinyurl.com/yc6atzyw)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons, U.S. Department of State, Find a Grave, Amazon, eBay
Elliot Budd Hopkins was born on June 15, 1931, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Elliot B. and Eleanor A. Hopkins. Raised in Wheeling alongside his siblings Stuart and Eleanor, Budd contracted polio at age two. During his long recovery, he began sculpting ships from modeling clay, sparking a lifelong passion for art. He graduated from Linsly Military Institute in 1949 and earned a degree in art history from Oberlin College in 1953. Hopkins moved to New York City, where he became immersed in the abstract expressionist movement, befriending artists like Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. His work was exhibited in major institutions including the Guggenheim, the Smithsonian, and the Museum of Modern Art. In 1976, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting.
Beyond art, Hopkins became a leading figure in UFO abduction research. His 1981 book "Missing Time" and 1987 bestseller "Intruders" brought national attention to the phenomenon. He founded the Intruders Foundation to support abductee research. Hopkins died on August 21, 2011, in New York City and is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Though he spent much of his adult life in New York, his Wheeling roots remained foundational to his identity and early development.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/4sv8y9mb), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5cut9z3m), Intruders Foundation (https://tinyurl.com/z2w4xdcz), Budd Hopkins official site (https://tinyurl.com/yc6atzyw)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons, U.S. Department of State, Find a Grave, Amazon, eBay
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