Arnold Tompkins (1849–1905) was an American educator and university president in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, most known for his work at
Illinois State Normal University
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
and
Chicago Normal School.
Early life
Tompkins was born on September 1, 1849, in
Edgar County, Illinois.
He had brief stints at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
and
Butler University
Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...
before enrolling in and graduating from the Indiana State Normal School in 1880 at the age of 31.
Educator
Tompkins taught in
Worthington, Indiana, from 1880 to 1882, after which he became the superintendent of schools in
Franklin, Indiana.
In 1885, he went to
DePauw University
DePauw University is a private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is ...
, serving as the head of the English program and working in the normal department.
Tompkins moved to the normal school at Terre Haute as an English teacher in 1890, then departed three years later to become a student at the
University of Chicago for two years.
In 1895, he became a professor of pedagogy at the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universi ...
.
Tompkins published several books related to education and pedagogy, such as ''A Graded Course of Study for the Franklin Public Schools'' (1883), ''The Science of Discourse'' (1889), ''The Philosophy of Teaching'' (1893), and ''The Philosophy of School Management'' (1895).
As an educator, Tompkins also traveled all over the United States to give lectures and address educational meetings, garnering himself a national reputation.
University presidencies
Illinois State Normal University
Tompkins came to ISNU after
John W. Cook left to become the president at the Dekalb Normal School in 1899. Under Tompkins, the curriculum at ISNU saw several major changes. There were changes in credit hours, specialized electives offered to students, timelines based on the high school students previously attended, and other minor changes in order to professionalize the curriculum. He also worked to strengthen the faculty and improve the curriculum to better prepare students to become high school teachers.
Chicago Normal School
In 1900, after ten months, Tompkins left ISNU and became the president of the Chicago Normal School, which today is split into
Chicago State University
Chicago State University (CSU) is a predominantly black public university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, it was an innovative teachers college. Eventually the Chicago Public Schools assumed control of ...
and
Northeastern Illinois University. Tompkins said he left the school because the Chicago school would have better facilities and opportunities for him to truly accomplish what he wanted in education. Upon his arrival at the school, Tompkins found a host of issues he had to contend with. There was a surplus of teachers, a long list of incoming cadets, a newly intensified courseload for students, and financial shortages. However, Tompkins did not let this faze him, and continued to work hard to bring the school success.
Death
Tompkins died on August 14, 1905, in
Menlo, Georgia
Menlo is a small city in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 474 at the 2010 census.
History
Menlo was platted in 1883. A post office called Menlo has been in operation since 1886. The Georgia General Assembly incorpora ...
, while on vacation from his job at the Chicago Normal School.
He was buried in the Alpine Community Church Cemetery in Menlo, Georgia.
References
External links
Arnold Tompkins Presidential Papers, 1899-1965Biography of Arnold Tompkins at the Illinois State University's Milner Library*
People from Edgar County, Illinois
Illinois State University alumni
Illinois State University faculty
Writers from Illinois
Chicago State University faculty
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tompkins, Arnold
1849 births
1905 deaths
Northeastern Illinois University faculty
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty
Schoolteachers from Indiana
DePauw University faculty
Burials in Georgia (U.S. state)
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States