Tompkins Avenue is named after Daniel D. Tompkins (born in Fox Meadows, now Scarsdale, New York on June 21, 1774; died June 11, 1825) entrepreneur, jurist, Congressman, Governor of New York, and sixth Vice President of the United States.
As Governor of New York, he supported school improvements and a more liberal penal code that reduced the number of offenses eligible for capital punishment. He was also largely responsible for the passage of legislation outlawing slavery in New York.