GULFPORT, Miss. (WJTV) – Alben “Al” Hopkins, the chairman of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, died this weekend. He was 81.

The Sun Herald reported Hopkins died on Sunday, February 12.

During his lifetime, Hopkins was a major general in the Mississippi National Guard, an attorney and a judge. He attended Delta State on an athletic scholarship and later helped establish a scholarship at the university, along with his wife, to help students from the Walnut, Mississippi, area.

Hopkins also earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He later founded his own law firm in Gulfport.

The newspaper reported that Hopkins was reappointed to another term on the Mississippi Gaming Commission, which will expire in 2025. Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) will appoint a new commissioner. His selection will need to be approved by the Mississippi Legislature.

Funeral arrangements for Hopkins are pending.