Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21
CHRIS. TOMPK|NS
DIES At HIS HOME
Widely Known Physician Passes
Away Suddenly. Aged
Seventy Years.
WAS DEAN OF OLD. COLLEGE
Prominent in Professional and
Social Circles of Richmond
and Virginia.
WAS DEAN OF OLD COLLEGE

or Christopher Tompkins. formerly
dean or the Medical College Of Nir.
s'hia ana for many years one Of the
reading physicians Of Richmond, dice
suddenly last night at 1890 O'Clock
~ his residence ll6 East Franklin
street He had been in intrm health
FOR som" time. but had been about AS
usual Yesterday and OH Friday He
"as seventy years Of age.
lie is survived by his wife. Mrs. Bes.
SIC McCaw Tompkins. and six children
DR. James McCaw Tompkins. Miss
O"iia Tompkins Miss Nellie Tompkins.
Mrs. 1ohn Parrish. of Huntington. W.
Va: Miss Mary Tompkins and Major
William Tompkins. of the United
States Army. now in France. Arrange
ments for the funeral had not been
completed last night. DR.. Tompkins
WAS born in Richmond September {.
lsfI. The son ot Colonel Christopher @.
and Mrs. Ellen wilkins Tompkins. and
was widely related among the older
families OF Richmond and Virginia. H..
was educated at tho College of Will
liam and Mary. at Williamsburg ana
Ar the University of Vagina. and -
the Medical College Of Virginia, q,
Richmond.
WAS DEAN OF OLD
MEDICAL COII.EGF
lie married Miss Bessie McCaw. or
Richmond November /. 1877, by wh?r,
he is survived Since BIS graduation
he has engaged in medical, practice ir
Richmond and WAS professor OF anat-
omy a the Medical College Of Virginia
from 1850 TO 1854: OF obstetrics fro.:-
1884 to 1899. and dean of the college
from 1898 TO 1919, when tho irStitu-
tion was consolidated with the Cni-
versity College of Medicine. retaining
the older name.
DIR. Tompkins served as major and sur
gcon in the Fourth Battalion. Virginia
Artillery. Virginia militia. He was a
member of the American Medical AS
sociation. the Southern Surgical and
Genealogical Association, Southern
Medical College Association. and was
founder and honorary life member OF
the Medical Society OF Virginia
He was descended from a line of dis
tinguished ancestors. his father.
Christopher Q. Tompkins. having been
West Point graduate. captain in
the Third Artillery, United states
Army. and later colonel of the Twen-
ty-second Virginia Regiment. Confed-
crate army. in the War Between the
states. Among his Revolutionary an
cestors was Judge Cunning Bedford OF
New York, signer of the Decla ration
Of independence. His emigrant an
cestor was Humphrey Tompkins. who
came to the colony of Virginia from
England in the reign of Charles l.. and
settled in York County.
SERVED AS COURIER AT
TIME OF DAHLGREN'S RAID
Although too young TO enter the reg
ular army OF the confederacy. in which
his father was distinguished officer.
DR.. Tompk ins saw active service n
Confederate courier when but sixteen
years of age at the time of Dahlgren's
raid around Richmond. After complet-
ing his medical education he served for
some time as subintcrne in Bellevue
Hospital. New York City, returning TO
Richmond in 1871 to begin the active
practice OF his profession, which he
continued with distinguished success TO
the day of his death. Besides writing
a number OF articles on medical sub
jects. he served for some years on the
staff of the Memorial Hospital and as
a member of the judicial council of the
American Medical Association. For 4
time he acted as deputy coroner of the
city of Richmond. was for two years
physician to the Richmond smallpox
hospital, and was for many years sccre-
tary and treasurer OF the Richmond
Academy OF Medicine. and had been
siSnally honored in his election for six
consecutive terms as president of the
Southern Medical College Association.
While no announcement.h has been made
of the funeral arrangements. il is un-
derstood that the services vii! take
place from st. Pauls Episcopal Church.
Of which he was member. and that
the irterment will be made in the fam
lily section in Hollywood.