Through their lives together, Briggs and Pat Hopson have worn myriad hats — father, mother, vascular surgeon, bank director, high school team doctor, alumni association president, health advocate, Emmy winner and many, many others. Their most public roles have been as chief executive officer and board chairman (him) and executive producer (her) of the Miss Mississippi Pageant, an official franchise of the Miss America organization.

It’s a relationship that grew, starting in 1973 when he was first the on-call physician for the state pageant and she was one of the many women who volunteer as hostesses.

They got to know the state and national competitions from all angles, including as parents. In 1982, the Hopsons’ daughter, Karen, was Miss Mississippi and a finalist as Miss America.

Now, the Hopsons say, the time has come to pass the banner. They served this year with “emeritus” added to their titles and said they’ll be full-fledged observers for the 2010 event.

“When you get to a certain age, you need someone else who is younger to be the leader,” said Dr. Hopson. “It’s time for the young people to step up and be leaders.”

They didn’t have to go far to find plenty of experience, much of it gained under their leadership. David Blackledge, executive director of the pageant for 17 years, will take the lead role. Norman Ford and Allen Ditto, who have a combined total of 39 years of pageant experience, will design and manage events onstage.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant has now been a summer staple in Vicksburg for 52 years, but it never becomes routine. The week, which keeps local hotels full and restaurants hopping, is important in many ways, not the least of them awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money.

People who are not pageant fans, of course, say the competition demeans women. Our experience has been that quite the opposite is true. Putting yourself and your abilities on the line in front of an audience is something many people never do. Here, young people learn to do it with poise. They continue to take risks in a culture that has largely become risk-averse.

There’s no way to overstate how important the character, personalities and the dedication of Briggs and Pat Hopson have been to building the confidence of hundreds of young women in Mississippi through the years. There’s no way to thank them enough for all they have done for contestants, their families and for Vicksburg.