THE JOURNAL PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT
“ HE WAS ELECTED AS THE 4TH PRESIDENT OF THE KAPPA ALPHA PSI FOUNDATION. UNDER HIS TENURE (1998-2003), MEL INCREASED THE FOUNDATION’S PORTFOLIO. AS PRESIDENT, MEL UNVEILED A MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT THE 68TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING AVAILABLE TO KAPPA ALPHA PSI® UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERS ”
with the aforementioned organizations garnered a vast amount of experience for Hopson and led him to become the first Director of Affirmative Action for the McDonald’s Corporation. After a brief period in this role, he was promoted to Vice President of Affir- mative Action and later elevated to serve as the McDonald’s Corp. Global Chief Diversity Officer. In this position, he used his relationship capital to be a change agent to posi- tively impact McDonald’s employees, owner-op- erators, and suppliers, especially marginalized people. While working in this position, Hopson introduced McDonald’s to several community groups, including Rainbow PUSH,
the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Congres- sional Black Caucus, and the Urban Affairs Council, in addition to others. In 1978, he was initiated into Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. through the Chicago (IL) Alumni Chapter. He was elected and served the Chicago (IL) Alumni Chapter as its 36th Polemarch (1985-1986), Strategus, and as a member of the chapter’s Board of Directors. Of the fifty-five men elected to the chapter’s Polemarch, Brother Hopson became one of four mem- bers who were initiated into the chapter and served in this capacity. His leadership skills and business acumen were tapped when he was elected as the 4th President of the
Kappa Alpha Psi Foun- dation. Under his tenure (1998-2003), he increased the Foundation’s portfolio. As president, he unveiled a Management Internship Program at the 68th Grand Chapter Meeting avail- able to Kappa Alpha Psi® undergraduate members to train participants on managing restaurants and gain management skills and experience to run a multi-million-dollar business capably. Upon graduation, the partic- ipants were offered job opportunities, and McDon- ald’s offered a stipend of $1,000 per year. For his exceptional contributions to the Kappa Foundation, he has been named Director Emerti. The Kappa Foundation has
honored Brother Hopson by naming one of eight “Legacy Giving Levels” ($10,000) after him. Socially, he was an early member of the “Rat Pack” social club. He was also an active and faithful member of his church, The Pro- gressive Church (formerly Lilydale Missionary Church), where he was ordained as a Deacon in 2001. Brother Melvin C. Hopson is survived by his wife of 25 years, Geralyn Hopson (née McKendall), brother, Lovell Hopson, Jr., his three children, Steven Hopson, Wayne Hopson, and Myra Cornwell (née Hopson), grandchildren, Taylor Hopson and Mikaela Cornwell, and a host of other relatives and friends. ♦
SUMMER 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 89
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator