Date of death: 8/1/2018
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1958
Terrence “Philip” Tompkins, 85, of Evansville, Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at Brauns Nursing Home. Philip was born in Toledo, Ohio on October 11, 1932 to the late Philip James and Eloise Dorothy (Ziegler) Tompkins. He attended St. Meinrad College in 1955, University of Notre Dame 1956-57, Kenrick Theological Seminary 1957-60, received his M.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1965 and his M.L.S. from the University of Missouri in 1971. Philip started his career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1971 lecturing in the School of Education until 1981. While at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, he served as the Coordinator of Public Services in the Main Library from 1971-73, as the Assistant Director of Libraries from 1973-74 and as the Associate Director of Libraries from 1974-83. From 1983-85 he was the Chief Librarian at the Brooklyn College Library at the City University of New York. Philip eventually moved to California and served as the Deputy University Librarian at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles from 1985-90 and retired in 1999 as the University Librarian, Executive Director of Libraries for the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Philip enjoyed travel and reading and was an avid Kansas City Royals baseball fan. Philip is survived by his siblings, Getrude Muensterman (Wilburn), Larry Tompkins (Cindy), Jim Tompkins (Shannon), Kathleen Straube (Clarence), Eloise Hamner (Ray), Nadine Parker and Christine Settle; and numerous nieces and nephews. Philip was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Lenora Miles; a brother-in-law, Gary Parker; a niece, Mary Ann Nall and a nephew, Kerry Miles.