In 1869, Ethel Tompkins’ father, Minthorne, purchased 54 acres from the Forbes holdings and built his family a two-story home not far from Red Hill in San Anselmo. Ethel Tompkins was educated in the east at a private girls’ school.
The idea for what would become the Humane Society began with Tompkins’ reaction to the poor treatment of horses in the early 1900s. This concern was the spark that began her lifelong mission as a humanitarian regarding animal welfare. On Dec. 14, 1907, Tompkins was among the 16 people who met in a Sausalito law office and formed the Marin County Humane Society.
The organization’s first office was in the Nevada Stables on Lincoln Avenue in San Rafael. Tompkins wasted no time connecting with the “right people” — Supervisor William Barr and M.F. Cochran, the publisher of the Marin IJ. Both men pledged their support and recruited other business and civic leaders for the board. It should be noted that, despite shunning personal publicity about herself, Tompkins knew how to “work the room.” She made belonging to the Marin County Humane Society the “in thing,” and spent many hours pursuing potential supporters. When problems arose with the supervisors, she invited them into her home, and a lot of issues were resolved in her sitting room.
Due to little income, the first treasurer report came five years later in 1912 and showed a revenue of $511 and expenses totaling $429. Yet, the organization persevered. In 1913, Tompkins began an education program, which was supported by James B. Davidson, the Marin superintendent of schools at the time. Tompkins, along with other volunteers, visited schools to highlight “Animal Week.” In addition, she began Humane Society’s essay contest as well as photography and poster contests. This developed into Humane Society’s future educational programming, which included shelter tours and community outreach programs geared toward educating the next generation about the importance of animal welfare.
In 1916, the county began contributing to the Humane Society, which helped them move to a blacksmith shop on Third Street in San Rafael since they were finally able to pay $15 a month for the abandoned and ramshackle shop. Dr. Rydberg, a veterinarian, was appointed the first humane officer, earning a salary of $150 per year. Tompkins supervised the renovation and expansion of the shelter, adding an animal hospital and enclosed kennels. During World War II, the organization struggled with shortages of goods and labor, but Tompkins and her friends persevered, even creating emergency plans for animals in case of air raids or evacuations. In 1946, the organization took on animal services for the cities and county of Marin, which the society’s board made “solely in the animals’ interest.”
In the 1950s, Tompkins spearheaded the World Federation for the Protection of Animals. In addition, she was voted “outstanding humane worker” by the nation’s 600 humane organizations. In 1968, Marin Humane moved to the current space in Bel Marin Keys in Novato. Shortly before her death, Tompkins visited the new center, including the Ethel H. Tompkins Education Wing. The plaque read, “In recognition of lifelong devotion to Marin Humane Society — this plaque is lovingly dedicated to Ethel H. Tompkins who by her foresight, perseverance and generosity was in large part responsible for this edifice.”
Tompkins died in 1969 at age 93 in her family home, leaving an extraordinary legacy behind that continues to thrive all in the name of animal welfare. This remarkable organization celebrates its 117th anniversary in December and continues with the same can-do attitude it had back at the Nevada Stables.
(Originally published as History Watch article in the Marin Independent Journal)