Thomas E. Leavey (1897–1980) was an American business executive, rancher, and philanthropist.
Thomas Leavey | |
---|---|
Born | 1897 |
Died | March 29, 1980 Los Angeles County, California | (aged 82–83)
Education | Santa Clara University Georgetown University School of Law |
Occupation(s) | Business executive, philanthropist |
Spouse | |
Children | Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan Dorothy Therese Leavey |
Early life
editBorn near Ferndale, Humboldt County, California to Irish immigrants, he attended Santa Clara University and served briefly in the U. S. Army during the final months of World War I.[1] In 1923, he received a bachelor's degree from the Georgetown University School of Law and relocated to Los Angeles, California two years later.
Career
editIn 1928, he co-founded the company that became the Farmers Insurance Group with John C. Tyler.
Philanthropy
editWith his wife, Dorothy Leavey, he established the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation in 1952. The Leavey Foundation prefers to donate privately; however, it has publicly donated more than $200 million to support educational, religious, and other institutions.
Death
editHe died on March 29, 1980, at the age of 82. Dorothy Leavey died in January 1998 at the age of 101.
References
edit- ^ Michaelson, Judith (1994-10-30). "THE SUNDAY PROFILE : A Quiet Force : Dorothy E. Leavey loves sharing her millions with the needy and the deserving--especially children. But much of it is done anonymously. She doesn't like the fuss". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- Dunkley, John. A History of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. Los Angeles: Farmers Insurance Group, 1993.
- Brown, Kathi. Sound Thinking and Lofty Ideals: The First Seventy Five Years of Farmers Insurance. Los Angeles: Farmers Insurance Group, 2003.
- ‘Welcome to Old West End’ by James Pegolotti; The Humboldt Historian: Vol. 56, No. 3; Fall, 2008.
- “The Personal File of Thomas E. Leavey.” (A brief memoir compiled in the 1970s and preserved in the Thomas E. Leavey Archives.)
External links
edit- history of Farmers Insurance Group at their website accessed 2010-12-05.
- obituary of Dorothy Leavey in LA Times Jan. 9, 1998. Retrieved 2010-12-05.