In 1660, Edward Hopkins, seven-time governor of the Connecticut Colony, bequeathed a portion of his estate to found schools dedicated to "the breeding up of hopeful youths."

[3] Parents of the time were generally more concerned with spending their money on essentials such as food, and viewed formal education as an extravagance most could not afford.

[3] Hopkins died in 1657 and bequeathed money to found a school dedicated to "the breeding up of hopeful youths for the public service of the country in future times."

[3] "The Fallow Years" is a term coined by Thomas B. Davis in his history, Chronicles of Hopkins Grammar School, to describe the period from 1696 to 1853.

[3] During this time the school had difficulty finding qualified schoolmasters, and the Hopkins Fund often fell short in paying them.

Also contributing to the problem was the establishment of the Collegiate School in New Haven in 1701, which drew many local academics away from Hopkins, and which later became Yale University.

Throughout August and September that year, they rushed through the necessary transactions to buy the new plot of land, currently the site of the Yale Law School.

Following this move the trustees released an announcement to New Haven's three newspapers summarizing their hope that this new location would provide sufficient space for the boys to learn and be separate enough that they could do so in peace.

[3] Hawley Olmstead became headmaster in 1839 and ended the line of short-termed schoolmasters as he held the position for ten years.

Although Olmstead thought much like Hopkins' early masters, namely that the school existed to prepare boys for college, he also modernized the curriculum in several ways.

By the time Olmstead resigned due to poor health on July 28, 1849, school attendance had risen to 63 students.

After the debate society and "The Club" were gone, many students sought out new ways to express their literary interests, including founding the school newspaper, The Critic.

Olmstead was seen by the trustees as a major failure and a cause of the school's rapid decline, and was quickly replaced by James Morris Whiton, who had just recently graduated from Yale.

"[3] Headmaster George Lovell convinced the Board of Trustees to buy land on the western edge of New Haven for a new campus atop a hill in 1925.

[5] Graduate Henry Murphy laid out plans for the new campus in 1922, and designed the original Baldwin Hall building in 1925.

[7] Trustee president Vince Calarco and headmaster Tim Rodd led Hopkins to buy a further 50 acres (20 ha) of land at its current location to establish playing fields in 1992.

[5] In recent years alumnus John C. Malone, a wealthy telecommunications entrepreneur, has donated more than $25 million for new construction, the financial aid program, and forming the endowment.

[9] Both Hopkins and the Archdiocese of Hartford were accused of covering up the sex abuse and shielding the teacher from potential prosecution.

The History Department core is the Atlantic Communities series that focuses on Europe, the Americas, and West Africa between 1450 and modern times.

In addition, elective courses go into detail on subjects such as political science, regional studies, philosophy and religion.

[14] The Mathematics Department offers study from pre-algebra to Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations and Chaos Theory.

Sports offered at Hopkins vary depending on the season and include cross country, soccer, water polo, downhill skiing, crew, football, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, fencing, track (both outdoor and indoor), swimming/diving, wrestling, squash, golf, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and softball.