Thomas E. Leavey (1897–1980) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

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, rancher, and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Early life

Born near Ferndale,

Humboldt County, California Humboldt County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 136,463. The county seat is Eureka, California, Eureka. Humboldt County compri ...

to Irish immigrants, he attended

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private university, private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university' ...

and served briefly in the

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during the final months of

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. In 1923, he received a bachelor's degree from the

Georgetown University School of Law Georgetown or George Town may refer to: Places Africa *George, South Africa, formerly known as Georgetown * Janjanbureh, Gambia, formerly known as Georgetown *Georgetown, Ascension Island, main settlement of the British territory of Ascension Isl ...

and relocated to

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two years later.

Career

In 1928, he co-founded the company that became the

Farmers Insurance Group Farmers Insurance Group (informally Farmers) is an American insurer group of vehicles, homes and small businesses and also provides other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance has more than 48,000 exclusive and independen ...

with John C. Tyler.

Philanthropy

With his wife,

Dorothy Leavey Dorothy E. Risley Leavey (1897 – January 7, 1998) was an American philanthropist from Beverly Hills, California. Early life Dorothy E. Risley was born in 1897 in Omaha, Nebraska.Myrna OliverLongtime Philanthropist Dorothy Leavey Dies ''Los ...

, 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

He died on March 29, 1980, at the age of 82. Dorothy Leavey died in January 1998 at the age of 101.

References

# 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

history of Farmers Insurance Group at their website
accessed 2010-12-05.

Jan. 9, 1998. Retrieved 2010-12-05. {{DEFAULTSORT:Leavey, Thomas E. 1897 births 1980 deaths People from Ferndale, California People from Los Angeles County, California Georgetown University alumni Zurich Insurance Group 20th-century American philanthropists