Ep. 56 Pam Hopson (Payroll/Personnel)

2500 DelMonte Street: The Oral History of Tower Records

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Pam Hopson first began working for Tower Records/MTS Inc. in 1976. But unlike many, Pam had to pay to get the job. One of the employment agencies Russ Solomon used back in the early days charged the employee and not just a little bit. Pam paid $400 in 1976 ($2,137 in 2023 dollars) to get a job doing what she did best at the time; running business machines, particularly a 10-key. Starting in the office with just 24 other employees Pam started in Sales Audit and then transferred to the Payroll Department.

As Payroll Manager, Pam oversaw 3,000 employees paid weekly (a $14 million dollar annual payroll). Pam lobbied to have payroll moved to a bi-weekly system but Russ and Bud were concerned that the company's employees would struggle with the adjustment and that idea was shot down.

At the time, the Payroll Department was taking on an increasing amount of insurance claims as well as calls from store employees who had grievances about things occurring in their stores, as well as the need to get that payroll out each week. Pam Hopson and Shauna Pompei lobbied for a separate Personnel Department formed. Bud Martin finally agreed and Personnel, later Human Resources was born at Tower Records.

Pam also talks about meeting her future husband Chris Hopson. She also talks about his subsequent need to personally deliver the Advertising Department’s payroll to Pam personally.

This is part one of a conversation with Pam Hopson regarding her Tower Records experience. Later in the summer Pam and her family will pay tribute to the late Chris Hopson. They will tell us more about her husband and their father and his place in the Tower Records story.